Changes In Ron
by Carey
Summary: This is the story about Ron based on 5th yr. Read about his summer of fun, the terrible consequences, a road to danger and a road to recovery! Completed 12/7/02
1. Prologue

Changes In Ron  
  
1 Prologue  
  
Before the summer of Ron's fifth year, Ron Weasley was the youngest brother of six, and an older brother to his only sister. Ron lived with his married parents, Arthur and Molly Weasley. His father worked in the Department of Misuse of Muggle Artifacts at the Ministry of Magic, while his mother stayed home cooking and cleaning. He had five older brothers, three who were alumni of Hogwarts.  
  
Bill is Ron's oldest brother, and he works in Egypt for Gringotts Wizarding Bank, finding fortunes in the Egyptian pyramids. When Bill went to Hogwarts he was a prefect and a head boy, meaning he was smart and responsible. However, Bill was cool. Bill was built long and lanky and with his long red hair, an earring, and his clothes, he wouldn't look out of place at a muggle rock concert.  
  
Charlie is Ron's second oldest brother. Charlie works with dragons in Romania. When Charlie attended Hogwarts, he was the Gryffindor House Quidditch Team's seeker and captain. Charlie was built stocky, and his arms and hands had calluses and blisters on them from working with the dragons.  
  
Percy works at the Ministry of Magic for the Department of International Magical Cooperation. During Percy's years at Hogwarts, he was a prefect and a head boy. Percy was engaged to Penelope Clearwater, a former Ravenclaw prefect and head girl. Though, Percy still lived at the burrow. Percy could be bossy, but he was extremely intelligent. He was built long and lanky.  
  
Fred and George are twins, and they will be attending their final year at Hogwarts in the fall. They liked to use Ron as a guinea pig for their inventions that they were testing for their joke shop they wanted to open after they finished Hogwarts. They were always pulling pranks and getting into mischief. They were very funny and very clever. They made good marks, but not good enough to be prefects, not like they would want that.  
  
Ginny was Ron's only sister, the baby of the family as well. She was pretty smart. She would be attending her fourth year in the fall.  
  
Ron felt as if he had to prove himself still. He felt like he had never done anything great, and even if he were to do something great, somebody else would have done it before him. He wanted to be the first to do something, but that something had yet to come.  
  
Ron was lucky he had two great friends. One was Hermione Granger; she was the smartest student of their year. She was a muggleborn witch, which meant she was the first person in her family to ever have magic. She was very studious, and she could be bossy at times. She was against rule breaking, fearing she might be kicked out of school if they were caught, but when she had to, she would break rules for her friends. She had changed in Ron's eyes. Before the Yule Ball Ron thought of her nothing more than a friend, but when she dressed up for the Yule Ball, Ron couldn't help but watch in disbelief at how beautiful his friend was. Ron had no chance of dating her as she was dating the Bulgarian Quidditch Team's seeker, Viktor Krum. She would be spending her summer there.  
  
Ron's best friend, even more than Hermione, was Harry Potter. Harry Potter was the only person to ever survive Lord Voldemort, when he tried to kill him. Harry was famous and hated it. Harry lived on Privet Drive with his horrible muggle relatives the Dursley's during the summer. The Dursley's were Harry's only living relatives. Harry's parents were killed on the same night Voldemort tried to kill Harry and failed, the curse backfiring upon him instead. Ron didn't care that Harry was famous. Ron was always there for Harry, people often referred to him as Harry's sidekick. They got in trouble together quite often, and they always were up to an adventure.  
  
Before the summer of Ron's fifth year, he was sarcastic about everything, but he could be serious when times called for it.  
  
Before the summer, Ron was laid back, friendly, free spirited and at times stubborn.  
  
This was his perfect life before the summer changed everything. 


	2. Tobias and Sabrina

1 Changes In Ron  
  
2 Chapter One  
  
2.1 Tobias and Sabrina  
  
Ron awoke to the first morning of summer holidays in his bedroom, on the top floor (with the exception of the attic) of the burrow, to see it pouring outside his window. Ron changed out of his pajamas and into his clothes before going downstairs for breakfast. To his surprise, he saw his father drinking tea at the table, with Fred, George, and Ginny talking to him. Percy was also at the table but he was talking to his mother who was cooking breakfast. The reason why his father surprised him by being at the table was because his father was usually off to work before Ron awoke. This was the first summer where he got to see his father the first morning of his holiday. Fred and George were currently telling him their plans for the summer, and the joke shop they'd start next year. It seemed as though Ginny wanted to say something, but Fred and George would cut her off. Ron didn't want to bother his father with anything he had wanted to say, because Ron knew he had nothing to say that would interest his father. He was just glad to see him and watched as the twins talk to him.  
  
"You should see some of our ideas, dad. You'd crack up." George says.  
  
"You'd laugh your socks off. These inventions are going to make us rich!" Fred says smiling.  
  
Ron left the room. Nobody had noticed him leave, because frankly nobody had seen him enter. He left the house and started walking. He had no destination in mind; he just wanted to get some air. About a half hour after he started walking somebody called him. Ron turned to find himself just past the Lovegoods' house. He found his friend Tobias running out to meet him.  
  
Tobias Lovegood was athletic looking with brown hair and blue eyes. Tobias was a wizard, and Ron's best friend for the first eleven years of his life. They ended their friendship before they started Hogwarts, because they knew they'd be separated, with Tobias following his family's tradition of being in Ravenclaw, and Ron knowing he'd be in Gryffindor. Well, they had figured the sorting would place them there, though they weren't sure.  
  
However, Tobias and Ron never made contact since the day before Ron went to get his school supplies in Diagon Alley.  
  
"Toby?" Ron asks.  
  
Toby grinned his mischievous grin like old times. "How are you doing Ron?" Toby asks.  
  
Toby pulled Ron into a hug. "Good and you?" Ron asks.  
  
"Good. I've had to live without my best friend for four years, but I've managed to stay alive." Tobias says.  
  
"I thought you made a new one." Ron says.  
  
"I have, but I've still missed you. You were like my brother once upon a time. I mean you haven't even said hello on the summer holidays. I bet you wouldn't have even thought about me if I hadn't yelled for you." Tobias says.  
  
"You know you could've stopped by the burrow plenty of times yourself, but I didn't even realize where I was to tell you the truth. I was just walking and thinking." Ron says.  
  
"Yea, I know a lot's been happening, hasn't it? I mean with You-Know-Who rising again… my mum was not happy with Dumbledore informing us. She still thinks he's dead. Some people refuse to believe it, even when the truth's right next-door. I mean the Diggory's are still in grief. It's horrible. I don't know what I'd do if Tabitha died. It must be even worse on parents though. Luckily, Cedric didn't have any brothers or sisters. Could you imagine if any of your brothers died or even worse yet, Ginny?" Tobias asks.  
  
"In my second year when the Chamber Of Secrets was opened, they said Ginny would die in the chamber, because nobody knew how to get in. I thought she was dead. I felt so horrible, because I was always picking on her, and I didn't know if she knew I loved her and that I was only playing, or not. Thank God that Hermione did her research and Harry could speak Parseltongue. I mean I was never so depressed in my life even if it was only a few hours." Ron says.  
  
"I know, Ron I was so close to finding you and trying to say something, but I wasn't allowed in Gryffindor, because I didn't know the password, besides we were supposed to stay in our common rooms, but I could only imagine the pain you must've gone through. I was so relieved to find out she was alive." Tobias says.  
  
"So…" Ron says feeling a bit awkward.  
  
"Hey, why don't you come in? We have a lot to catch up on." Tobias invites.  
  
"All right." Ron says.  
  
Ron followed Tobias into the house and saw two girls sitting at the table. One was Tobias' sister, Tabitha. She had long brown hair with blue eyes. She had always had a crush on her twin brother's best friend. She was very disappointed when she never saw him because they stopped talking. Ron couldn't believe how different she looked. He had to shut his mouth quickly as it dropped open.  
  
"Ron!" Tabitha cried. She ran up to him and gave him a friendly hug.  
  
"Hey Tabitha, how are you?" Ron asks.  
  
"Well and you?" Tabitha asks.  
  
"All right. Wow, you've grown up. You look, beautiful." Ron says.  
  
Tabitha blushes. "You don't look too bad yourself." Tabitha teases with a wink.  
  
"All right stop flirting with my sister, Ron." Tobias warns.  
  
"Ron, you remember Sabrina Fawcett?" Tobias asks referring to their neighbor. Sabrina Fawcett was a year older than them, but hung out with Tabitha. Sabrina had dirty blonde hair, and green eyes.  
  
"Yes, of course." Ron says smiling she was beautiful as well. He looked her over slightly and this caused Sabrina to smile and blush.  
  
"Well, I could never forget the cutest Weasley." Sabrina says standing up.  
  
"Oh, well Bill's in Egypt." Ron jokes. He caused the girls and Tobias to laugh.  
  
"Still funny as ever." Sabrina says hugging him.  
  
"Well, Ron and I have some catching up to do, so we're going upstairs. Ron I have to show you my room." Tobias says.  
  
Ron followed Tobias upstairs. His room was like Ron's, only bigger. He had his walls covered with orange Chudley Cannon posters. His bedspreads were the same, and the only difference between Ron's room and Tobias' was Tobias' was bigger.  
  
"Do you realize Sabrina likes you?" Tobias asks excitedly.  
  
"What do you mean?" Ron asks.  
  
"You are so blind! Honestly, she was eyeing you worse than Tabitha. Man, I've been trying to get her attention for years, but all she thinks of me as is the boy next door." Tobias says.  
  
"Well you practically are." Ron says rolling his eyes.  
  
"No, I mean she thinks of me more as a friend than a man." Tobias says.  
  
"You're not a man just yet." Ron reminds.  
  
"Neither are you! Ron, you're so dense. She wants you!" Tobias says.  
  
"Wants me?" Ron asks.  
  
"Yes, you know…" Tobias says.  
  
"Oh! What? Wait! No, she doesn't want me! Does she?" Ron asks.  
  
"It's so obvious." Tobias says.  
  
"Really?" Ron asks.  
  
"Really." Tobias says grinning.  
  
"So you think I have a chance with her?" Ron asks.  
  
"Yes, dunderhead!" Tobias says.  
  
"But you want her more than I do." Ron says.  
  
"Oh, it doesn't matter, what matters is what she wants, and she wants you." Tobias says.  
  
"So what am I supposed to do then? Ask her out or something?" Ron asks.  
  
"She'll ask you first." Tobias says.  
  
"So, do you think she's experienced in this area?" Ron asks.  
  
"From what I heard she could be a teacher in this area. She gets around." Tobias says.  
  
"Well, then I better forget it. I have no experience at all in that area." Ron admits.  
  
"Just go by the bases." Tobias says.  
  
"What are they?" Ron asks.  
  
"The American Muggles have a sport called baseball, in it they bat a ball, and try to run home before they get out. Anyway, there are four bases. First, second, third, and home. Well, it's the same in uh… you know. Anyway, first base is hooking up, or French kissing. Second base is when you're allowed to slide your hands up her shirt. Third base is when you can uh… touch... below her waste. You're home when you've done it."  
  
Ron thought about this but couldn't comprehend.  
  
"Abide by the four F's then. French, feel, finger, and uh… you know." Tobias says.  
  
"How do you know all of this?" Ron whispers.  
  
"My cousin from America came to visit over Christmas, and he told me." Tobias says.  
  
"Have you ever done any of that?" Ron asks.  
  
"No." Tobias says. "But I wish. You could make it home with Sabrina, unless she calls you out."  
  
"Oh." Ron says still thinking.  
  
"TOBY!" A women's voice called from downstairs.  
  
"Mum's home, come downstairs, she'll be so pleased to see you!" Tobias says.  
  
They return downstairs.  
  
"Toby, we're going out to dinner tonight at the Leaky Pub, and- RON! Oh my, come here. Let me look at you!" Tobias' mother cried.  
  
"Hello Ms. Anne." Ron says.  
  
Anne slapped Ron upside the back of his head, taking him by surprise.  
  
"If you ever stop coming over here again, I might have to hurt you!" Anne snaps.  
  
Ron laughs, "Don't worry I think you'll have to hurt me to get me to leave."  
  
"Oh!" Anne cries. "There's always an extra invitation for you at dinner, you know that, right?"  
  
"Oh, thank you, but I'll have to take a rain check. My mum's making a big dinner, because my dad's home from work. It's one of the few days he ever took off, with the exception of the Quidditch Cup last year." Ron explains.  
  
Sabrina and Tabitha entered the room. "Hey Sabrina, would you like to join us for dinner?" Anne asks.  
  
"Any other night, Ms. Anne. Unfortunately, my mum's a bit ill and I have to take care of her and make dinner for my dad." Sabrina says.  
  
"Oh no, is there anything I can do? I could brew up some pepper-up potion!" Anne offers.  
  
"Oh, thank you, but she's already taken some. She's still a bit under the weather. She should be back on her feet again by tomorrow." Sabrina explains.  
  
"Oh well tell her that I hope she feels well soon." Anne says.  
  
"I will, thank you." Sabrina says.  
  
"What are you kids doing inside on such a lovely day?" Anne asks.  
  
"It wasn't lovely until you came along." Ron jokes.  
  
"Oh, stop it." Anne says lovingly.  
  
"Yea, why don't we go outside?" Sabrina asks.  
  
"All right." Tobias agrees.  
  
When the Lovegoods took the Knight Bus to the Leaky Cauldron, Sabrina and Ron started to leave for their houses.  
  
"Well see you." Ron says.  
  
"No, wait up a second. Ron… do you want to come over?" Sabrina asks.  
  
"Sure." Ron says.  
  
Ron entered the house. Sabrina invited him into the kitchen. They found a note on the table.  
  
"Well my mum's feeling better." Sabrina says handing Ron the note.  
  
Sabrina,  
  
Your mum's feeling better. We're staying the night at the Leaky Cauldron. Make your dinner, and go to the Lovegoods if you need anything. Be careful! Owl us if you need anything. We'll be home in the morning.  
  
Love,  
  
Dad  
  
"So you'll be home by yourself all night? Isn't that just a bit dangerous?" Ron asks.  
  
"Are you offering to spend the night?" Sabrina asks.  
  
Ron opened his mouth and frowned with confusion. "I would, but my parents would never approve." Ron says.  
  
"Tell them your spending the night at Toby's. They won't be home until tomorrow either." Sabrina says.  
  
"I'm a horrible liar." Ron says.  
  
"Send an owl." Sabrina suggests.  
  
"I don't know…" Ron says.  
  
"What's the matter? Don't you like me?" Sabrina asks.  
  
"Of course, but if I get caught, I'll be grounded for the rest of summer, and then I won't be able to see you again." Ron says.  
  
"One, you won't get caught. Two, if you're grounded, you can easily sneak out, then what? You're grounded longer? Big deal. It's not a punishment. And three, you'll be able to see me again. Trust me." Sabrina says. She hands him a piece of parchment and a quill.  
  
Ron sighs. "All right." Ron agrees. He writes his mum a letter.  
  
Sabrina reads it over. "Perfect. Use Zippy to send it." Sabrina says grabbing her owl.  
  
Later that evening, Ron was making out to Sabrina on the couch. Sabrina was kissing Ron's neck as he nibbled gently on her ear. Ron didn't know whether or not his hormones possessed him to put his hands up her shirt or not, but he did it anyway. Sabrina gasped as she felt his hand underneath her bra. Ron quickly withdrew his hand hearing her gasp. He got off of her quickly.  
  
"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." Ron says running a nervous hand through his hair.  
  
"No, no. You just took me by surprise. I mean I never expected a boy like you to do that." Sabrina says.  
  
"A boy like me?" Ron asks.  
  
"Yea, an innocent boy. I never thought you even kissed a girl, before me. Though, you are a great kisser. You must have a lot of experience." Sabrina says.  
  
"Not really." Ron says scratching his neck and sitting back down on the couch.  
  
"How many?" Sabrina asks.  
  
"How many what?" Ron asks.  
  
"How many other girls have you been with?" Sabrina asks.  
  
"Honestly, I haven't. I've never kissed a girl before you." Ron says.  
  
"Are you serious?" Sabrina asks.  
  
"Yes. I struck out, haven't I?" Ron asks.  
  
"If you've never… then how do you know about striking out and I'm assuming you know the bases?" Sabrina asks.  
  
"Toby." Ron sighs.  
  
"Oh, of course his cousin." Sabrina says.  
  
"I guess I better go then?" Ron asks.  
  
"No, no. I like you Ron. I like you a lot." Sabrina says. She took off her shirt and pulled Ron back down onto the couch.  
  
Ron woke up to the doorknob turning and unlocking. He shook Sabrina awake before grabbing his clothes and darting up the stairs into Sabrina's room. Sabrina grabbed her clothes off the floor and hid them under her blanket, which she wrapped her naked body under tightly and pretended to be asleep as her parents entered.  
  
"Why is she sleeping on the couch?" Her father asks.  
  
"Maybe she was reading again and fell asleep. Don't wake her." Her mother says.  
  
"All right. Well, I have to go to work. Will you be all right, by yourself?" Her father asks.  
  
"She's quite all right as you can see, and she's only sixteen." Her mother says.  
  
"Owl me if you need anything." Her father says. He kisses his wife before disapparating.  
  
Mrs. Fawcett could be heard going upstairs, and Sabrina quickly dressed under the blankets, hoping her mother wouldn't come back down anytime soon.  
  
She hopped out from under the covers fully dressed and combed her hair quickly. She picked up her blanket and tiptoed up the stairs. She knew her mum was asleep, and she ran into her room. She looked in the closet, but Ron wasn't there. She bent down to see Ron hiding under the bed. She smiled and kissed her hand before touching Ron's face.  
  
She checked the hall again before gesturing Ron to come out. She kissed him again and ran her hands up his back before she sent him off, as her mum would be up eventually.  
  
Ron started walking home when Toby came running out of his house.  
  
"Ron! How did you know I'd be home this early? We spent the night at the Leaky Cauldron, I didn't know or I would've sent you an owl." Toby says.  
  
"I spent the night at Sabrina's." Ron whispers.  
  
"What?" Toby asks with disbelief and amazement.  
  
"She asked me to keep her company, because she was home alone, and you went to the Leaky Cauldron." Ron says.  
  
"What did your mum say?" Toby asks.  
  
"Nothing yet. I haven't been home. I told her that I slept over your house." Ron says.  
  
"Wicked! Ron you've got guts. What was it like?" Toby asks.  
  
"It was unbelievable. She's incredible." Ron says.  
  
"I can only imagine!" Toby says.  
  
"I'll be over later, I have to go check in with my mum. If anyone asks, I slept over here last night." Ron says.  
  
"Oh, don't worry I'll cover for you." Toby says.  
  
"Thanks. I'll be by later." Ron says.  
  
Ron walked into the burrow and ran up the stairs into the bathroom. He checked his appearance and shut and locked the door quickly. He was very glad he hadn't run into his brothers, his parents, or Ginny for he had a few hickeys on his neck. He tried hiding them, but had no clue as what to do.  
  
Finally, an idea occurred to him. He ran upstairs to his room and threw on a turtleneck. He checked his appearance again, he looked a bit sweaty and red, but Ron had yet to take a shower.  
  
There was a knock on the door as Ron threw a flannel tee on top of the turtleneck. Ron opened the door to find his oldest brother, Bill standing there.  
  
"Bill, what are you doing here?" Ron asks.  
  
"Making sure you were the one who came in the house without informing anybody." Bill says.  
  
"I wanted to change my clothes." Ron says.  
  
"Right, well when your done, mum wants you down in the kitchen. She's not thrilled that you've been gone for twenty-four hours without saying anything." Bill says.  
  
"I'll be down in a minute." Ron says.  
  
"All right." Bill says.  
  
Ron changed his pants before going downstairs and entering the kitchen. To his surprise, his whole family was sitting around the kitchen table. Charlie had also gotten time off as well. Ron couldn't imagine why his father was still at home. Mrs. Weasley stood up looking a bit upset.  
  
"Ron, have some breakfast." Molly says handing him a plate of eggs.  
  
"Actually, I'm not hungry. Bill said you needed to see me?" Ron asks, still standing in the doorframe of the kitchen.  
  
"I need to talk to you about your irresponsibility yesterday, but that can wait until after you eat. Now, please have a seat." Molly says.  
  
"Irresponsible? I sent you an owl telling you where I was." Ron says.  
  
"I said we'd discuss this after we ate." Molly says.  
  
"I'm not eating. I told Toby I'd be back as soon as I got changed." Ron says.  
  
"As happy as I am for you and Toby to be speaking to each other once again, you won't be going over there today." Molly says.  
  
"What? Why not?" Ron asks in disbelief.  
  
"You were very irresponsible in not telling anybody where you were going yesterday. You never asked if it was all right." Molly says.  
  
"Mom I owled you and let you know I was staying the night there!" Ron says.  
  
"You don't tell me what you're doing, you ask for my permission, and I never gave my consent!" Molly says.  
  
"If you didn't want me to stay the night, you could've owled me to come home!" Ron says rolling his eyes frustratingly.  
  
"Ron you should've asked to go in the first place. You never asked for permission to leave, and you didn't let anybody know where you were going. You knew I wanted you home for dinner, because it was one of the only nights your father wasn't working, and you never came home." Molly snaps.  
  
"I forgot! It looks like he's going to be home today too, or he's going to be late! I'll be home tonight." Ron says.  
  
"You will be home tonight, and all day today, because you're grounded." Molly says.  
  
"You can't do that! That's not fair! I didn't do anything!" Ron says.  
  
"It's in my right as your parent to ground you, and you are grounded. Perhaps, keeping you away from Toby will keep that attitude away. If you continue, your groundment will keep adding up. On the other hand, you could lose the attitude and have breakfast with us." Molly says.  
  
"Unbelievable." Ron growls.  
  
He runs up the stairs furiously to his room. He slams his door and locks it before diving on to his bed angrily. He couldn't believe he was grounded on the first week of the holidays. He wasn't going to stand for this. He got up and he climbed out his bedroom window. Despite, the fact that it was the second to highest floor in the burrow, Ron climbed down the tree that was conveniently located outside his room that led all the way down the back to the back of his house.  
  
Once on the ground, Ron ran as fast as he could to Toby's house. Sabrina was already there; she was talking with Tabitha in the kitchen. Tabitha looked really interested in their conversation and winked toward Ron as he walked past the kitchen and started for Toby's room. Was it possible that Sabrina told her? He didn't know. He ran into Toby's room. Toby was in the middle of a holiday essay.  
  
"Hey." Toby says dropping his quill immediately. It seemed as though he were waiting for an excuse to get out of doing his homework.  
  
"Hey. Was I interrupting something?" Ron asks.  
  
"No! I'm glad you came!" Toby says. "I told mum you'd be back, but she said you didn't even know I was back, and I said you thought we'd be home last night. She said you probably came back and saw that we weren't back, and she made me start on my holiday work. She said if you did come back, I could quit and hang out with you."  
  
"Oh in that case I'll be leaving." Ron teases.  
  
"No you won't!" Toby says.  
  
Ron laughs, "All right I won't."  
  
"What took you so long?" Toby asks.  
  
"I got in trouble. I'm grounded, and I'm supposed to be in my room, but I snuck out. I figure it's only a matter of time before my mum sends my brothers over here to get me." Ron says.  
  
"Why what did you do?" Toby asks.  
  
"Well, my mum said that I had no permission to leave yesterday, and I never had permission to stay the night here, even though I owled her. She said she thinks my friends are changing my attitude." Ron says.  
  
"Ron, if your mum finds out you're missing, and she comes here to look for you, well, you could be in a bit of trouble. I mean what if she brings up last night, and my mum says that nobody was here last night. My mum loves you, but she's still a mum, and she wouldn't want your mum lying to her. She's not going to lie for you." Toby says.  
  
"Toby, I'm in a lot of trouble. I wasn't thinking. Well I was thinking, more along the lines of fun and not of the consequences. What should I do?" Ron asks.  
  
"Sneak back in before they realize you left. I mean they don't always notice you. Not with the twins causing havoc, and Ginny being as good as she is. I don't know if Percy's still at the burrow or what, but he'll take attention from your parents as well." Toby says.  
  
"Everyone's home. Bill and Charlie are home, I don't know why though. Oh! My dad has taken off work again." Ron says.  
  
"So you have enough time, unless your mum went to come and talk to you. Then you're in more trouble. Go home. I'll drop by and suck up to see if I can get you off punishment a bit anyway." Toby says.  
  
"Thanks Toby. I don't know how I lived without you for four years." Ron says.  
  
"I'll drop by shortly to see how deep you're in. Calm down, and keep cool. Don't lose your temper and don't be too stubborn." Toby says.  
  
"Thanks!" Ron says.  
  
On Ron's way out of the Lovegoods house, he sees Tabitha and Sabrina talking in whispers at the table.  
  
Quickly, Ron runs home, and climbs the tree to his room. He just closes his window as his bedroom door opens. Mrs. Weasley still looks upset, though a bit more calmer, and in control.  
  
"I told you we'd discuss everything after breakfast, because you were very childish and wrong, and you ruined everybody's mood. I don't know what's gotten into you, but I want it out of you. Do you understand?" Molly asks.  
  
"I understand, and I apologize. I'll apologize to everyone downstairs as well, if that's what you want. I guess I was a bit tired. We were talking all night catching up on everything, but even then we still weren't caught up. I wanted to go back this morning. When you said I couldn't, it got me frustrated, because we just picked up our friendship, and I don't want anything destroying it now. I really am sorry, and I can understand why I'm grounded. I just lost track of the time yesterday and wanted to spend the night. I thought that if it was a problem you'd send a howler or an owl, and since you didn't I just thought I was lucky. I apologize." Ron says.  
  
"You're forgiven, and you may go over to Toby's, but you must be home by five." Molly says.  
  
"Thanks mum!" Ron says. He gives his mum a hug before running downstairs and out the door.  
  
He runs back over to Toby's. He runs up the stairs to find Toby finishing an essay.  
  
"Oh good, you're back! Are you in deep?" Toby asks putting his quill down.  
  
"Not in any trouble." Ron says shaking his head.  
  
"How'd that work out?" Toby asks.  
  
"She never knew I snuck out, and she gave me a lecture about my attitude and my behavior, and I apologized, and said that I was just tired from talking all night to you. I said we were so busy catching up, and that we never finished catching up, and that's why I wanted to go back this morning, and a lot of other stuff. Anyway, she just said for me to be home at five." Ron says.  
  
"So, let's catch up. Your best friends with Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, right?" Toby asks.  
  
"You're my best friend." Ron says.  
  
"Of course, but inside your house, I meant." Toby says.  
  
"Yes that's about right. Who are your friends inside your house?" Ron asks.  
  
"Terry Boot and I have been best friends since our second day at Hogwarts." Toby says.  
  
"I don't think I know Terry." Ron admits.  
  
"Oh, well I'll introduce you. So was there ever anything going on between you and Hermione?" Toby asks.  
  
"No. I never really thought of her more than a friend, until it was too late. Then Viktor Krum already had her. I never would've been good enough for her anyway. Besides, I would've never gotten with Sabrina if Hermione and me were more than friends." Ron says.  
  
"True." Toby says.  
  
"So, are you going out for the Quidditch Team this year?" Ron asks.  
  
"Yea, Ravenclaw needs at least one chaser. Are you going out for Gryffindor, or are they full?" Toby asks.  
  
"They need a Keeper, but I'm not exactly the best flier. In my first year, my broom smacked me in the face, when I said 'Up!'" Ron laughs.  
  
"We can practice. Tabby's got a broom that she's never touched. She's not into Quidditch. I can try scoring against you, and you can try blocking me." Toby says.  
  
"Well, I suppose it wouldn't do me any worse off than now. All right." Ron agrees.  
  
Toby gave Ron his sister's broom, and they went out into a clearing in the woods, where the muggle village beyond wouldn't be able to see them. Toby brought with him a ball, which was very odd to Ron.  
  
"What's that?" Ron asks.  
  
"A muggle soccer (football for the English) ball." Toby says. "Look, the branches are wide enough to be the scoring posts." Toby adds. He tosses the ball to Ron, who catches it.  
  
Toby flies back far enough so that Ron has a good distance to throw. Ron throws the ball far and weaves back and forth in front of the branches. Toby tries to throw it past Ron, but Ron makes a quick turn and catches it. Toby looks surprised.  
  
"Beginner's luck, you've got." Toby teases flying away again.  
  
Ron throws the ball again far back. Ron flies up and down left and right weaving out of the way of the branches, and Toby comes up close enough to the left branch to score, but Ron flies and catches it, just as it leaves Toby's hands and just flies to the rim of the branch.  
  
"That's ten for Ravenclaw scored by Tobias Lovegood, and the crowd goes wild!" Toby jokes.  
  
"Dream on Lovegood, it didn't go past the branch, I caught it and stopped it before it went through!" Ron says.  
  
"I'll get it through!" Toby says.  
  
Ron and Tobias played hard and rough. After a couple of hours, it started to storm, and even though it poured hard, it didn't stop them from playing. They only stopped playing when lightning struck a tree nearby. Then they headed back to Toby's house. When they got inside the Lovegoods house, they were soaked to the bone and muddy from splashing each other in puddles.  
  
"Mum, I think we'll be needing some towels here." Toby called from the porch.  
  
Mrs. Lovegood didn't look amused at all. She looked at the two of them very disappointed.  
  
"Sorry, Mrs. Lovegood, I haven't been able to splash puddles with him in years." Ron says.  
  
"Ron, you need to go home. It's four o'clock, and it'll take you a bit to get home. Your mum wants you home by five." Mrs. Lovegood says.  
  
"Oh thanks for reminding me. I would've forgotten. I'll see you later Toby!" Ron says. 


	3. Lies And Runaways

1 Chapter Two  
  
1.1 Lies And Runaways  
  
Ron ran home, getting his ankles muddier, and he was more soaked than before, which he didn't think was possible. He opened the door to the burrow assuming everybody was in the kitchen, not wanting to get the house wet; he stepped out of his shoes and pulled off his socks. He took off his shirts and rang them out. Then he stripped himself of his soaking pants ringing them out as well. Being only in his boxers, which were soaked through, he quickly ran to the living room to gratefully not find anybody there. He ran up the stairs with his drenched clothes in his arms. He ran all the way up to his room and dropped his clothes. He put on some dry clothes and ran back downstairs. He made his way into the kitchen where he was surprised to see only his mum there. She was cooking dinner.  
  
"Hey mum, I'm home before five, just like I promised. Where are the others? They're not in the living room." Ron says.  
  
"How dare you lie to me Ronald Patrick Weasley?" Mrs. Weasley asks.  
  
"What are you talking about? Mum, they really aren't in the living room." Ron says bewilderedly. He looks back and still does not see anybody in the living room.  
  
"Ronald, you're in enough trouble as it is! Don't be fresh! You've been lying this whole time!" Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
"What? What are you talking about?" Ron asks.  
  
"I had Anne over here for tea this morning. I thanked her for having you stay last night. She said that nobody was home and that nobody stayed over. They were at the Leaky Cauldron last night! Where were you?" Mrs. Weasley asks.  
  
"Me? I was there. I didn't want to come home last night, and Toby gave me his bed." Ron says.  
  
"You're lying to me again! That isn't true, and even if it was true… you told me this morning that you were catching up all night, and you wanted to continue this morning. Mrs. Lovegood said you stopped by for a second this morning, but you left quickly, before returning when I allowed you too, which meant you must've lied to me!" Mrs. Weasley yells.  
  
"I lied about the catching up, only because I didn't want to hurt you by saying I didn't want to wake up here, because I feared Fred and George's inventions." Ron says.  
  
"You could've been home for dinner if that lie was true, but you are lying, and you are calling me a fool, for trying to trick me. Now where were you at last night?" Mrs. Weasley asks trying to remain calm, though she looked dangerous.  
  
Instinctively, Ron said the first, safest answer that came to his mind, "I was at Toby's like I said!" Ron insists getting a bit loud.  
  
Ron was startled as his mum started toward him. He backed into the wall as she came toward him. She smacked him across the face hard. She started beating him and he cowered under her and fell to the ground. He started shouting for help, while his mum yelled at him.  
  
"Don't you dare lie to me, I'm your mother! How dare you think me as a fool!" She roared as she beat him.  
  
It sounded like thunder as several people ran down the stairs. All at once, Ginny, Fred and George, Percy, Charlie, Bill, and Mr. Weasley entered the kitchen to see Mrs. Weasley smacking something repetitively.  
  
"What's that?" Fred asks.  
  
"I think its Ron." George laughs.  
  
"Should we help him?" Fred asks still amused though a bit concerned.  
  
Bill and Charlie pulled their mother up off of Ron. Arthur embraced Molly and gestured to Percy with a nod to help out Ron.  
  
Percy helped Ron up. Ron had tears on his face, though he didn't look upset, but he did look angry. His face was dark red with a scratch by his eye and his lip was bleeding.  
  
Ron struggled out of Percy's clutches for the back door. He wouldn't stay there for another minute, but someone else's grasp held him back. He turned to see Charlie holding him back.  
  
"Let go of me Charlie! I don't want to stay here! Get off of me!" Ron yells. Ron swung at Charlie, but Bill's hand caught his arm in mid-swing. Bill and Charlie forced Ron into a chair.  
  
"No! Ron, knock it off! Stop it!" Bill says pulling out his wand.  
  
"No!" Percy says taking Bill's wand out of his hand. "No, don't do anything, or you'll regret it. Trust me." Percy warns.  
  
Bill nodded and Percy gave Bill back his wand, which he put in his pocket.  
  
Ron still struggled against Charlie's grip. "Let me go!" Ron yelled angrily.  
  
"No, Ron! You're not going anywhere." Percy yelled.  
  
"Who died and made you boss?" Ron asks still fighting Charlie.  
  
"You're about to die in a minute, little brother." George laughs.  
  
Ron kicks him hard in the shin. "Shut up!" Ron yells.  
  
Fred grabs the back of Ron's hair and pulls his head back so he can see the ceiling, and now Fred's face. "Ron, if you move, I guarantee huge live spiders will be crawling all over you. Now knock it off!" Fred yells slapping his brother in the back of the head as he lets go of him.  
  
"Ron, what happened?" Mr. Weasley asks calmly but sternly. This was the first time his father was actually ever serious about punishing his son. Usually, he was very indulgent, but he wanted to know the answers.  
  
"I don't know. I came home, and she flipped out at me!" Ron yells.  
  
"There isn't a need for yelling. We can all hear you fine. Now, she didn't just go off on you, what did you say to her?" Mr. Weasley asks.  
  
"I said I'm home before five, like I promised. Then I asked where everyone was, and she yelled how dare I lied to her!" Ron says innocently.  
  
"What did you lie about?" Mr. Weasley asks, looking with surprise at his son.  
  
"Nothing." Ron says.  
  
"That's another lie!" Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
"I'm not lying!" Ron yells again.  
  
"Molly, what did Ron lie about?" Mr. Weasley asks.  
  
"He says he spent the night at Toby's last night!" Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
"You didn't?" Mr. Weasley asks.  
  
"I already told her I did! She just wants to punish me!" Ron yells.  
  
"The Lovegoods spent the night at the Leaky Cauldron last night. I had tea with Anne this afternoon. She said Ron left last night, and returned this morning only for a second, before leaving and coming back later when I allowed him too." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
"And I told you that I didn't want to go home last night so Toby gave me his bed!" Ron says.  
  
"Why didn't you want to come home?" Mr. Weasley asks.  
  
"It's the first night of summer. Fred and George were starting up their inventions, and they might've tested them on me while I slept, and I didn't want to spend the next sixty-one days worrying about how they'd blackmail me and humiliate me at Hogwarts by recalling their pranks." Ron says.  
  
"You could've came home for dinner last night." Mr. Weasley says.  
  
"I lost track of time, and I forgot. I knew if I came home you'd be mad at me." Ron says.  
  
"You know for somebody who doesn't get high marks, you can think real good and real fast." Ginny says. "But I suppose it's the thinking stupidly that gets you those poor marks, because you come up with some real good lies and excuses quickly, but you're stupid for lying. You see Ron you clench your jaw right before you lie." Ginny says.  
  
"You noticed that too? I was going to wait and see how many excuses and how many lies he could go on with before he ran out." Charlie laughs.  
  
"Where were you last night?" Mrs. Weasley asks.  
  
"I told you!" Ron says.  
  
"Well, I got a pretty good guess. Judging by the facts, I'd say he was with Sabrina Fawcett." Ginny says.  
  
"How'd you guess that?" Mrs. Weasley asks.  
  
"Well, there are only two girls around his age that are witches and live around here, and that is Tabitha Lovegood, and Sabrina Fawcett. Well, nobody was home at the Lovegoods like you said, and you have to pass the Lovegoods to get to the burrow from Sabrina's, unless you want to walk extra long, and I imagine Ron wanted to tell Toby about his night of fun as he passed, and like you said mum he stopped by early this morning, before returning back later. Oh, and I believe it to be Sabrina and nobody else, because he's got a hickey on his neck, and Sabrina's known to get around." Ginny says smiling.  
  
Ron instinctively reached up and covered his hickey with his shirt. He glared evilly at Ginny.  
  
"Please let me go." Ron pleaded with Bill in a whisper.  
  
"Ron, don't worry. I can reassure you that you will be gone very shortly. Possibly by tonight." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
"What?" Ron asks.  
  
"I have a feeling you won't be going to Toby's." Fred says.  
  
"And definitely not to Sabrina's." George says.  
  
"I'll ask your grandfather to take you in for the rest of the summer." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
"I'll runaway or die first." Ron says.  
  
"Which grandfather?" Ginny asks confused.  
  
"Grandfather John." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
"Is that supposed to be a punishment?" Ginny asks.  
  
"Worse than death and mum put together." Ron says.  
  
"Grandfather's always so nice to me." Ginny says.  
  
"Grandfather loves you." Fred says.  
  
"He hates Ron, worse than me and Fred combined." George says.  
  
"Why?" Ginny asks.  
  
"Because Ron's not smart or talented." Fred says.  
  
"At all." George adds grinning at Ron.  
  
Ron continued to stare at the rain beating the window on the opposite side of the room.  
  
"But you're talented, why does he hate you two?" Ginny asks.  
  
"Because we're mischievous, or something." George says.  
  
"But he always said that Ron was the biggest mistake in the Weasley history, and that's even bigger and worse than what he thinks of dad's job. He was never in favor of muggles or the Ministry." Fred says.  
  
"That's enough!" Percy yells disgusted at his brothers' cruel remarks. "Ron, maybe you should go to your room and think of everything that just went on." Percy suggests helping him up.  
  
Ron got up and walked out of the kitchen and climbed the stairs to his room, but he didn't stay there. He climbed out his window and down the tree, not caring that he could slip on the wet branches. He got down well enough, and ran as fast as he could to the Lovegoods.  
  
Knowing, Anne was upset with him for lying to his mother, he knew he wouldn't be welcomed through the front door and that if Anne did see him, she would owl his mother to make sure he had permission to be there. Ron decided to climb a tree into Toby's room. He knocked softly on the window as he saw Toby doing his homework at his desk. He watched Toby lock his door before opening the window and letting Ron in. He handed Ron a towel, and pointed to the closet without saying anything. Ron knew Anne would be coming in soon, and Ron dried off quickly and hid in the closet, hiding behind a cloak and a broomstick.  
  
Toby unlocked the door and continued his homework. Soon enough, his mother entered. "Drink this." Anne says.  
  
"What is it?" Toby asks.  
  
"Hot cocoa. You're freezing. There's a whole pot of it downstairs. Will you be all right for an hour or two? I forgot to pick up some Floo powder while I was in Diagon Alley, and I need to pick it up. It won't take me too long." Anne says.  
  
"Oh, mum you're so overprotective. Of course I'll be all right." Toby reassures his mother.  
  
"All right, stay out of trouble. I love you. I'll be home shortly. Your sister's downstairs with Sabrina. If you need anything give them a shout." Anne says.  
  
"All right. Have fun mum." Toby says.  
  
Ron listened as the door closed. After about ten minutes, he heard Toby leave. When he reentered the room, he opened the closet door. "You can come out now. Just don't make too much noise. I take it you're not supposed to be here, if you put so much effort into climbing through my window." Toby says letting him out.  
  
"I snuck out. Your mum and my mum had a chat earlier. My mum thanked your mum for having me last night, and she told her that I was never here that nobody was here." Ron says.  
  
"Oh no." Toby says.  
  
"She found out all my lies, even after I went through so much trouble of thinking up more lies. Stupid Ginny had to see right through me and spill it for everyone to hear." Ron says.  
  
"I don't understand. How did Ginny know?" Toby asks.  
  
"My mum was thrashing me for not telling her where I was, and I guess my shirt collar slipped, and it revealed a hickey, and Ginny said the only witch around here that's known for getting around is Sabrina, and they put the pieces together from there." Ron says.  
  
"What now?" Toby asks.  
  
"Now my mum's planning on sending me away to my grandfather's. He thinks I'm the biggest mistake to the Weasley name since my dad's job. He thinks my dad wastes his time with muggles. He and my dad don't even talk anymore. My mum's the one who makes us visit him. He loves everybody, even Fred and George, who he thinks are bad, but he still loves the twins, but he hates me. He truly does. He insults me and makes me feel like I'm worse of a human being than the rest of my brothers already do. If only my older brothers or Ginny went with me it would be less of a torture. I'd be neglected rather than verbally abused. I have a bad enough opinion of myself as it is. I don't need him reminding me how much worse it is. When Bill, Charlie, or Percy went he'd admire them, because they were smart, they upheld the brains of the Weasley family, or in Charlie's case, he'd admire him for having talent. When Fred and George came, he'd yell at them for being rascals or messing up his perfect house. He's very strict. The twins wouldn't care though. They'd be having too much fun. Besides, grandfather never really yelled at them, he loved them they have Quidditch talent. Ginny, on the other hand, he loves her because she's a girl. He was never fond of grandsons, unless they made him proud. I can't make anybody proud." Ron says sadly.  
  
Back at the burrow, Percy unlocked Ron's door to find the room completely empty. He ran over to the closed window and sighed in relief, as he didn't see Ron's body on the ground, floors below. He ran downstairs into the kitchen.  
  
"Is Ron packing?" Mrs. Weasley asks.  
  
"Er… no." Percy says.  
  
"Why not?" Mrs. Weasley asks.  
  
"I can't tell him, because he's not in his room." Percy says.  
  
"What?" Mr. Weasley asks.  
  
"His floor is the highest in the burrow. He couldn't have climbed down." Fred says.  
  
"Well that tree in the back goes the length of the house. It's got plenty of branches. Unless he jumped out of the window, there's no other way down. I mean I agree with Ron, I'd rather die than live with Grandfather for one day. You're talking about the whole summer." George says.  
  
"He's not lying lifeless on the ground outside, so I think we should go over to Toby and Sabrina's and bring him home." Percy says.  
  
"Why? He'll just leave again." Fred asks.  
  
"Not if I break his legs." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
"Mum, calm down, we'll body bind him first. Look, George and I will check at Toby's for him, and Fred and Charlie will go to Sabrina's. There aren't any other wizarding families in the area, except for the Diggory's, but…" Bill sighs.  
  
"All right then. We'll be going now." Charlie says interrupting the sad silence.  
  
The twins followed Bill and Charlie outside. It was still raining.  
  
"Was Ron this out of control in Hogwarts?" Charlie asks.  
  
"No. I didn't even notice a change until mum flipped." Fred admits.  
  
"It's amazing the power that girls have." George says sarcastically.  
  
"Like you'd know." Fred says rolling his eyes.  
  
"No, but you do." George teases.  
  
"Ooh! Fred has a little girlfriend, does he?" Charlie asks teasingly.  
  
"No, of course not." Fred says casually.  
  
"All right, I'll be sure to let Angelina know how little you think of her." George says.  
  
"You wouldn't!" Fred says seriously.  
  
"Oh, Angelina, eh? I think Fred does have a girlfriend. So how did this happen?" Bill asks.  
  
"He asked her to the Yule Ball." George says grinning.  
  
"As a friend." Fred insists.  
  
"Oh, of course." Charlie says sarcastically.  
  
"Right. Just friends, I got you." Bill teases.  
  
"Oh shut up, I'm seventeen for crying out loud! I had the guts to ask out a girl, unlike somebody!" Fred says looking at George.  
  
"Ooh, George, what happened? Lost your nerve?" Charlie asks.  
  
"No, I just don't happen to like anyone in particular. Besides, I don't see you or Bill with anyone." George points out.  
  
"He's got a point." Charlie says.  
  
"We're just going to end the discussion now. Let's concentrate on what spell we can use that won't hurt Ron, but will make him come home with us calmly." Bill says.  
  
"There's no such spell." Fred says.  
  
"Yea, when Ron's angry, there's no hope in calming him down." George says.  
  
"For at least twenty-four hours." Fred says.  
  
"Can't we hurt him?" George asks.  
  
"Can we knock him out?" Fred asks.  
  
Bill and Charlie laughed at their brothers' remarks.  
  
"It depends on Ron. If he tries to run, we'll stun him, and carry him home. If he comes with us, there won't be a need to do anything." Charlie says.  
  
They walk up to the Lovegoods and knock on the door. Tabitha opens it and looks confused.  
  
"Hello Tabitha, is your brother around?" Fred asks.  
  
"No, he left with Ron a while ago. I can give him a message if you want." Tabitha says.  
  
"No, we were looking for Ron. Do you have any idea of where they might've gone?" Bill asks.  
  
"No, sorry." Tabitha says.  
  
Just then, Sabrina walks up to the front door.  
  
"Well, he's not at your house then either. Send him home when you see him, please. It's important." Charlie says.  
  
"I'll try." Tabitha says shutting the door.  
  
They started walking home when Fred stopped.  
  
"What is it? Why are you stopping?" George asks.  
  
"I think Tabitha was lying. They're probably in the house." Fred says.  
  
"We'll come back tonight. Their mum will be home, and she'll tell us where Ron is, if she doesn't send him home herself." Bill says.  
  
"No, I'll be back." Fred whispers.  
  
"Where are you going?" Charlie asks.  
  
"I just want to see if they're in there or not." Fred whispers.  
  
"How do you plan on doing that?" Bill asks.  
  
"There's a tree that leads up to Tobias' room. When Ron and Tobias used to be best friends ages ago, George and I would chase them with spiders and such. Ron always climbed up that tree and into Tobias' window." Fred says.  
  
"You'd be invading their privacy." Bill says.  
  
"Nobody has to know, besides, their mum's not home. I'll be quick about it. I'll look in the window, if I don't see anyone, we'll go home, if I do, we'll knock again." Fred says.  
  
"You got five minutes." Charlie says.  
  
Fred runs quickly around the back of the Lovegoods house. He climbs a tree and looks in a window. There he sees Ron and Tobias playing Wizard's Chess. Quickly, he climbs back down and runs over to his brothers.  
  
"Well?" George asks.  
  
"I knew she lied! They're upstairs playing Wizard's Chess." Fred says out of breath.  
  
"All right, let's get him." George says.  
  
"Oh, what are we supposed to say? I think you're lying, because Fred just climbed up the back of your house and found Ron playing chess?" Bill asks.  
  
"If it comes to that." Fred says.  
  
Without giving his brothers time to think, Fred ran up to the front door and knocked repetitively until Tabitha opened it once again.  
  
"Yes?" Tabitha asks.  
  
"We found Ron playing Quidditch in the woods, and my parents are taking him home, but he forgot something in Toby's room, which we were sent to retrieve." Fred says.  
  
"What's that?" Tabitha asks.  
  
"Him." Fred says.  
  
Fred and George ran up the stairs pushing past Tabitha and entering Tobias' room. Ron and Tobias hadn't noticed who entered the room yet, because they were too focused on their game.  
  
"Tabitha, I thought I told you to knock before entering, and even then, not to enter. What do you want?" Toby asks.  
  
"One, we're not Tabitha. Two, we're here to retrieve Ron. Bill is out back, and Charlie is downstairs. Don't try to run, because they will stun you. If you come with us calmly, we won't hurt you." George says.  
  
"See you later, Ron." Toby says as they both stand up.  
  
"I have a feeling you won't." Ron says. 


	4. Grandfather

1 Chapter Three  
  
1.1 Grandfather  
  
Ron entered the house and he found himself walking into the kitchen.  
  
"Ron, you'll be staying at your grandfather's for part of the summer, depending on if your behavior improves. If there isn't an improvement, you'll find yourself there all summer." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
Percy entered the kitchen with Ron's trunk. Ginny entered with Pigwidgeon in his cage.  
  
"I'm leaving now?" Ron asks.  
  
"Yes. Percy will take you on the Knight Bus to your Grandfather's. I'd allow you to take Floo powder there, but frankly, I don't trust you. You'd probably say somebody else's house or jump out early." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
Ron grabbed his trunk and his owl and started for the front door. "You coming Percy?" Ron asks.  
  
"Ron, say goodbye first." Mr. Weasley says.  
  
"Percy, I'll be waiting outside." Ron says.  
  
He pushed past the twins and found his way out front of the burrow.  
  
"I guess I better take him now, before he finds his way to Tobias'. I'll be home shortly." Percy says. He kisses his mum on the cheek before leaving the burrow.  
  
With his wand, he signals for the Knight Bus and it crazily arrives. Percy pays for the two of them to go to Ireland and the bus disappears, heading for another town. Ron fell back on to his bed on the bus as it sped into the night.  
  
Percy fell backward onto his bed too, though he looked and felt as if he were going to be sick.  
  
After three stops, they landed in Ireland in front of Grandfather Weasley's home. Ron and Percy shakily stepped off of the bus. Ron got his things, and they walked up to Grandfather's manor.  
  
The reason Mr. Weasley never asked his father for money, was because Grandfather was so strict and hard on him as a child, he drove him away, and Mr. Weasley didn't want the indignity of asking for help. Grandfather thought Mr. Weasley's job at the Ministry was a mistake, because he knew that his son had more potential than that. It was his liking of muggles that kept him there, even though the pay was poor.  
  
Grandfather was very strict and he wasn't fond of boys. He wouldn't have liked any of his grandsons if it weren't for the facts that they had brains and talent. Ron knew he had neither, and he was despised for this.  
  
Percy knocked on the door and grandfather opened the door.  
  
"Percy! It's always a pleasure to see you. Do come in lad. Ah, and Ronald. Enter." Grandfather says.  
  
Percy and Ron entered. Ron was a bit reluctant, but he had yet to show it.  
  
"Sit down, sit down." Grandfather says as he brings tea in for them. "Percy, how are you doing? You're a young man I see. I understand you were made Head Boy, and received top marks on your N.E.W.T.'s. Where have you been working?" Grandfather asks.  
  
"The Ministry." Percy says.  
  
"What department?" Grandfather asks.  
  
"The Department of International Magical Cooperation. I helped with the setting up of the World Cup and the Tri-Wizard Tournament." Percy says.  
  
"Ah, of course. It was to perfection, until those damn death eaters got drunk." Grandfather says.  
  
"Yes, that was a catastrophe." Percy says.  
  
Grandfather looks at his old grandfather clock. "Well, I know it's a bit late. I have an extra room upstairs that you may sleep in, if that is your wish." Grandfather says.  
  
"Oh no, sir. I was just asked to bring Ron here. My parents were afraid he'd runaway again." Percy says.  
  
"Oh, he'll be wanting to runaway, all right, but not to worry. There's no where or way to run." Grandfather says.  
  
Ron wanted to look to his brother with a desperate plea in his eyes, but his stubbornness wouldn't allow him to remove his eyes from the table.  
  
Percy could see the battle going on between Ron's stubbornness and his fear. Percy also knew that his Grandfather would indeed change Ron, wherever there was a change needed, and no matter the pain or push it took, his grandfather would change him.  
  
"Grandfather, I'm sure Ron will change his attitude now that he's away from a certain girl." Percy says.  
  
"He'll change his attitude all right, I guarantee it." Grandfather says.  
  
Ron sighed as if he was bored, but he shivered at the thought of his Grandfather's guarantee.  
  
"Well, hopefully there won't be a need for that. I guess I should be going now. It was good seeing you again Grandfather." Percy says.  
  
"Always a pleasure Percy." Grandfather says.  
  
Percy patted his brother's shoulder before disapparating.  
  
"Where am I staying?" Ron asks his Grandfather.  
  
"Upstairs the last room on the right." Grandfather says.  
  
"May I bring my things up there now?" Ron asks.  
  
"It's smart of you to ask permission. Yes, you may take your things up. Don't mess up the room. I'll have daily inspections. Starting tomorrow, I'll lay down the rules and your chores." Grandfather says.  
  
"Yes sir." Ron says. He carries his trunk up the stairs and down the hall to the last room. He opens it and fines a brown, wooden walled bedroom with a beige carpet and a white ceiling. There was a desk against one wall, which Ron placed his books, his wand, and his assignments on. There was a small wardrobe by the window, and Ron hung his robes inside. There was a chest of drawers next to his bed against the wall, and Ron folded his clothes neatly and placed them in the drawers. He put Pigwidgeon's cage on top of the desk as well. He lie down in the bed and fell asleep.  
  
The next morning, Ron was awoken earlier than he would've liked by his Grandfather, but he knew better than object. Not that Ron had ever spent the night over his Grandfather's before, but he knew better to object to any of his Grandfather's wishes, or a better term for them would be orders.  
  
Ron dressed and walked tiredly down the stairs. "Good morning Ronald, there's a list of chores to be completed before breakfast for you on the table." Grandfather says.  
  
Ron rubbed the tiredness away from his eyes. "Pardon me, did you say before breakfast?" Ron asks.  
  
"Yes I did." Grandfather says.  
  
"I'd work better with something in my body. Can't I have breakfast first?" Ron asks.  
  
"No, you won't have breakfast until you've done your chores. I find that working on a hungry stomach gets the job done faster. It will motivate you to work quickly and efficiently, even if it means the job has to be done three times, because the first two you thought you could be slick and quick about it. I want everything done before breakfast, and should I hear a 'but,' yours will be whipped." Grandfather says.  
  
Ron swallowed his pride back with a nod. "Yes sir." Ron says. Ron took the list into his hands and read them. His stomach growled, as he knew it would be at least noon before he was allowed to eat after doing all these chores. He'd have to do them the muggle way as well, as he was not allowed to do magic on the summer holiday.  
  
"Trim the lawns… Sir to trim the lawns, I'll need a muggle lawnmower. I'm not allowed to do magic over the summer, sir." Ron says.  
  
"There's one in the garage." Grandfather says drinking tea.  
  
"All right then." Ron says.  
  
Ron worked hard outside under the sun. He mowed the lawns, watered and spread manure over the flowerbeds, removed the weeds, and planted seeds for his grandfather. He came in exhausted and hungry as ever. "May I please have breakfast now? I'm starving!" Ron says.  
  
"Starving? You don't know what that word truly means. I should teach you the meaning of it, but you've earned your meal." Grandfather says.  
  
"Thank you sir." Ron says.  
  
"Well, aren't you going to have something to eat or are you looking forward to an early start on your afternoon chores?" Grandfather says.  
  
"No, I'll have breakfast now, thanks." Ron says.  
  
"Well, what are you waiting for? The oven's free." Grandfather says.  
  
"Oh." Ron says feeling stupid. He never really knew how to cook. He had had his mum to cook for him, and Hogwarts food was provided by the houseelves.  
  
"You expected me to cook you breakfast, didn't you?" Grandfather asks.  
  
"I thought…" Ron started, but Grandfather removed his pipe from his mouth and laughed, cutting him off.  
  
"You thought wrong, 'tis what you thought, laddie." Grandfather says.  
  
"Of course, sir. Sorry." Ron says.  
  
Ron walks over to the stove and tries to figure out what to do. The only thing he knew how to make was tea. So he boiled some water.  
  
"You don't know how to take care of yourself?" Grandfather asks.  
  
"I do sir." Ron says.  
  
"You don't know how to cook." Grandfather says.  
  
"No, that I don't, sir." Ron says.  
  
"'Tis time you learn, lad." Grandfather says standing up and walking over to Ron. He pulls a cookbook from the shelf. "We shall see how well you follow instructions. If you follow directions, your food will taste exactly the way it should. If you don't 'tis your own fault for your poor meal, lad."  
  
Ron cooked himself scrambled eggs, the easiest meal he could think of and ate them greedily.  
  
When he was finished Grandfather smiled, "Good, you can get a head start on your afternoon chores. I need you to put new shingles on the roof, otherwise laddie; it will be a wet night for you."  
  
"I know nothing about fixing roofs." Ron protested.  
  
"'Tis time you learn." Grandfather says.  
  
"Why can't you fix your own roof? It's your house! Besides, in the bedroom I'm staying in, there wasn't a hole in the ceiling!" Ron says defiantly.  
  
The punch came so quickly and unexpectedly; Ron fell to the floor covering his jaw where he was hit.  
  
"I don't know who you think you are talking to me in that tone. You won't question me and you won't use anything but a respectful tone when addressing me, unless you want me to question my tolerance of you and be disrespectful toward you! I'm not indulgent like your father! I don't tolerate that, and I never will. Be grateful you have someone to take you in when you get too out of control for your poor mother, who does her best to take care of you, while your father avoids what's right in front of him and pretends not to see the pain you cause her. You took your mother for granted! You lied to her face! She cooks your meals for you, and she doesn't ask anything of you, but to turn out right. You're crashing down the wrong hill young lad, and I'm leveling the road out for you! You will work for your stay here, or I will dump you in a muggle orphanage, and you will find out what it is to truly be lonely, to be hungry, to be unloved, and to be unwanted! Your mother didn't know what to do with you. You lied to her, broke her trust in you, you let her down! You've sinned badly, and your father stands back and watches. She wants the best for you, but handing you everything isn't the best for you. You don't have to have money to be handed everything either." Grandfather yells.  
  
In a softer tone he says, "Now get on the roof and learn how to fix a shingle. There's a toolbox in the shed."  
  
Ron runs out the back of the house trembling from his mixed emotions. He was scared from the yelling. He was in pain from the punch. He was upset and confused about what his Grandfather had said. He had hurt his mother by sinning and lying. Somewhere though, he still resented her for sending him there. His Grandfather was cruel and mean, he thought. He still selfishly cared about himself now, and he thought of what he would be doing if he hadn't gotten caught. He could be seducing Sabrina. He could be practicing Quidditch or playing Wizard's Chess with Toby, but he wasn't. Instead, he was nailing shingles to the roof.  
  
Ron came inside at seven that evening after fixing his grandfather's roof. Grandfather left and inspected the job. "Well, you know how to fix a roof." Grandfather says simply.  
  
This made Ron angry, to be proven wrong. It was only because he'd be spending the night on the roof if he didn't fix it that Ron actually figured it out.  
  
"May I have dinner now, please? I missed lunch." Ron says bitterly.  
  
"Make something. The cookbook was left out from earlier, something I don't allow. I should take it away from you and let you make yourself a poor meal, but I like to keep my kitchen clean." Grandfather says.  
  
"Thanks." Ron mutters, rolling his eyes. Luckily his back was turned to his Grandfather, because he was hungry, and he didn't want to fight or starve because he rolled his eyes. It took a lot out of him to say thanks, because he knew if he didn't he wouldn't be allowed to eat, or he'd get a lecture over it postponing his meal even longer.  
  
Ron made himself a plate of spaghetti. It tasted all right, but it still didn't fill Ron's appetite. He was too worn out and exhausted to cook more though.  
  
"Grandfather, may I go up to my room?" Ron asks. "I want to start on my assignments." Ron says. Ron couldn't believe what a relief homework seemed to be when he hated essays and assignments. Usually, he'd rather go exploring Hogwarts or outside in the summer sun depending which season it was, but after working all day, homework seemed like a good escape.  
  
"After you wash those dishes in the sink. They're not going to clean themselves, you know." Grandfather says.  
  
"Grandfather, I've only used two dishes, and two mugs all day. Those other dishes were used by you, sir." Ron starts.  
  
"You wash all the dishes in the sink, not just your own. Wouldn't it be a pain to wash every dish you use the very minute your done with them?" Grandfather asks.  
  
"Sir, I understand having one person do the dishes. They're going to get washed eventually, why not all at once, right?" Ron asks.  
  
"Exactly." Grandfather says.  
  
"Well, we both have to eat as well, why can't you just cook for the both of us?" Ron asks.  
  
"I'm teaching you a lesson, Ron. I'm teaching you how to cook for yourself." Grandfather says.  
  
"Well, I already know how to wash dishes, and since the majority of the ones in the sink are yours, you can wash them." Ron says bitterly.  
  
Grandfather's eyes told Ron he was about to explode, but he calmed himself before speaking. "I know I can wash them, but I gave that job to you." Grandfather says.  
  
"Why won't you do them? Because you're too lazy! I've done everything around this house, and you haven't done a thing! It's not as if you work! It's not as if I have nothing to do, I have to do my summer assignments!" Ron yells sounding frustrated.  
  
"Nonsense, you have all summer to get them done, and you usually don't do them at home until the end of the summer either." Grandfather says.  
  
"I usually don't do a lot of things that I do here, but I haven't a choice!" Ron says.  
  
"Exactly." Grandfather says. "So go wash the dishes."  
  
Ron wanted to say, "Wash them yourself," but knew the consequences. So instead, he walked into the kitchen and washed the dishes.  
  
Later that evening, when Ron had claimed he was going to his room to do his essays, he was playing Wizard's Chess looking at the different strategies he could use when Grandfather entered. Ron tried to hide it, but he didn't have enough time.  
  
"I don't like liars, and I don't like sneaky people. When you try to deceit somebody, it makes you as bad as any Slytherin. I came up here expecting you to be doing something constructive, your assignments for example." Grandfather says.  
  
"I did an essay, and I just wanted to have time to myself before I went to sleep." Ron says.  
  
"Where's the essay?" Grandfather asks.  
  
"On the desk." Ron says.  
  
Grandfather picks the parchment up and reads Ron scribbled writing. Ron sighs in relief, having done it the first night home.  
  
To Ron's horror, Grandfather rips it up. "What are you doing?" Ron asks in disbelief. He lost all control over himself. He tried to contain the anger and strain that he had bottled up from the past twenty-four hours, but he couldn't take it anymore. He had enough.  
  
"You had no right to touch my essay! I actually did it! I did everything you asked me to, today! You could at least keep your hands off my things, and you could give me some time of my own to do what I want! It's not like I'd hurt anyone!" Ron yells. He was dark red with fury.  
  
Grandfather hit Ron painfully in the face. Ron fell onto the floor covering his cheek and eye with his hand. Tears ran down Ron's face, tears of pain and anger, but he had not given up.  
  
"You'll keep a civil tone when talking to me!" Grandfather says.  
  
"I'll talk to you however I want!" Ron yells standing up.  
  
Grandfather grabbed Ron roughly by the back of his neck. He dragged him down the stairs and out back into the shed.  
  
When Ron woke up the next morning he resented his mother more than ever for sending him there. His back was sore from all the welts Grandfather had given him last night. He was sore from all of the strain his muscles had been under yesterday as well. If his Grandfather expected him to do chores this morning or even the rest of the week, he wouldn't be able to, and he knew his back couldn't handle another whipping.  
  
Ron jumped as he heard the door to the shed unlock from the outside. He squinted as sunlight poured in the dark shed, and then the silhouette of his Grandfather came into view. Ron buried his tear-stained face in his arms and bit his lip, fearing what his Grandfather was going to do or say.  
  
"I got some ice for your back. You can let me take care of you, or you can carry on until it hurts so bad you'll beg for me to help you." Grandfather says.  
  
"Can't you heal it with a spell?" Ron asks.  
  
"I could, but I won't. You deserved what I gave you. You're out of control, and you didn't expect anybody to stop you." Grandfather says.  
  
"Couldn't you have just shut me up with a spell and made me listen?" Ron asks.  
  
"I could've, but you wouldn't have listened. Besides, you're at a muggle disadvantage. Teaching you a lesson with a wand wouldn't be fair to you since you aren't allowed to use yours. You wouldn't have taken me seriously. You would've whined about how you wouldn't have listened to me if you were allowed your wand. You were upset that somebody is actually telling you what you have to do, what you're not allowed to do. You don't like the rules, but even more you don't like the consequences. Last night, I enforced what I said before… I'm not indulgent or lenient. I expect certain things from you, while you're here. The thing I expect the most of is how you respect me. You do or you don't, and I will or I won't respect you back the same. It's an old motto; treat people how you want to be treated. You yell at me, I'll yell at you or worse like you found out last night. You may not think it fair, but it's life. I'm the adult, and you're the child. You won't get the respect of a young man, until you learn to act like one." Grandfather says.  
  
"You never gave me a chance, I don't know why I had to give you chance." Ron says.  
  
"What chance?" Grandfather says.  
  
"You never gave me a chance to explain anything. Nobody gives me a chance. You never got to know me! You know you hate me though. You don't like me, why should I like you?" Ron asks.  
  
"You take chances with your actions. If I didn't like you Ronald, you wouldn't be here. I am giving you a chance." Grandfather says.  
  
"Why did you rip up my essay? I hate homework, and I actually spent a couple of hours researching that." Ron says.  
  
"You need to spend more time researching, then. That wasn't done properly. It was sloppy, and very disorganized." Grandfather says.  
  
"Still, I could've used some of the notes from it. I don't remember what I wrote." Ron says.  
  
"Then you really haven't learned anything. When you read a chapter of a book, it's not just to summarize and write about it, it's to keep the knowledge in your memory. That's what learning is about. You learned your alphabet, and have you ever forgotten any letters? Have you forgotten how to read after learning how to?" Grandfather asks.  
  
"No." Ron says.  
  
"Think twice about your actions and your tone of voice. You'll have less chores and your back won't be as sore." Grandfather says.  
  
A week later, Ron was painting the porch for his Grandfather. It was his only chore of the day, besides washing the dishes and doing his own laundry. Grandfather came out with an extra paint roller. He helped Ron finish painting.  
  
When Ron came in they had dinner, and Grandfather helped Ron with another of his essays. Grandfather had been helping Ron with essays every night.  
  
Ron finished the essay and massaged his hands. He didn't know how Hermione could write so much without getting a hand cramp.  
  
"Thanks Grandpa." Ron says rolling up his parchment.  
  
"Your welcome." Grandfather says. Thoughtfully, he looked at his grandson. "Ron, I noticed last week, before I punished you that you have Wizard's Chess."  
  
"Yes sir." Ron says.  
  
"Why don't you bring it down here? We'll have a match. I can understand if you're afraid to lose to your Grandfather, but you've been up to quite a few challenges lately, this one shouldn't be as hard." Grandfather says.  
  
"You're on!" Ron says.  
  
Ron won against his Grandfather, and as a reward Grandfather let him off all chores for the next two days. 


	5. Back To The Burrow (And The Problems)

Chapter Four  
  
Back To The Burrow (and the Problems)  
  
Ron fell into routine as weeks went by. He woke up early and helped his Grandfather with housework. When they would finish they'd play Wizard's Chess. Even though Ron beat his Grandfather the majority of the times, it was a challenge to play him compared to his friends or his brothers. Ron had all of his assignments done within the first two weeks of holiday.  
  
Halfway through August, Ron received three owls. He thought this was strange, as he hadn't any owls within the past six weeks. The first owl was from his family. It was sent with Percy's owl, Hermes.  
  
Dear Ron,  
  
Your Grandfather says he has seen a significant change during your stay with him. Harry and Hermione just arrived, and they are anxious to see you. Please forgive me and come home. I know you're still mad at me, but Grandfather even agrees it was for the best, and that you have changed for the better. Your Grandfather said he'd pay for your fare to take the Knight Bus home, whenever you want to come. Just let him know, and you can come home. We miss you terribly! Please forgive me and come home! I love you!  
  
Love always,  
  
Mum  
  
Ron wasn't sure what to think. He had gotten so adjusted to his home at Grandfather's that he couldn't just leave. He felt that leaving would be like abandoning his Grandfather. On the other hand, Harry and Hermione were waiting for him at the burrow, as were Toby and Sabrina. There weren't many wizards or witches around Grandfather's. None his age for miles as a matter of fact, not to mention that Ron worked so much of the day, he didn't have time to meet anybody.  
  
Ron looked at the next owl, it was from Harry sent with his owl Hedwig. There were two letters tied to her foot. Ron read the first letter from Hermione.  
  
Dear Ron,  
  
I've come straight to the burrow from Bulgaria, and I found that you weren't even home. You have an owl, I don't! You should've written to me and told me you were going on vacation to your Grandfather's. I mean Harry had no idea either. I hope you didn't have too much fun and forget about your holiday assignments. Once you get home, there won't be a lot of time to get them done, because Harry and I are here. Your brothers are extremely loud too, and you'd never be able to concentrate.  
  
I've had a splendid time at Viktor's over the summer. I got to watch him practice Quidditch with the Bulgarian team, and I even got great seats to a few of his games! It was a great experience. I knew nothing of all these Quidditch teams, with the exception of Quidditch Through the Ages and what you and Harry have told me. Really, books can't tell you anything about what I've watched. It's like a muggle concert. It's better live than on television, because you're actually there!  
  
Sorry about bragging, it's just been a great summer. It's gone too fast in my opinion. It's good to see Harry and your family again. It's a shame, because I can't say the same about you yet. Tell your Grandfather to send you home! The twins are making up the wildest tales about your Grandfather. They claimed the reason Harry and I haven't been receiving letters all summer was because he killed you. I can't imagine a violent Weasley like the twins describe your Grandfather to be.  
  
Come back to the burrow so we know you're still alive! The twins are very convincing; unfortunately for them Harry and I have known them longer to believe their clever lies. Harry's got a lot to tell you about his summer. I don't think he'll write everything. I can't believe he's writing anything. What if his owl was intercepted and read? Really, the chances some people will take…  
  
In more positive news, I've been made a Prefect! Harry has been as well! I was surprised by that after all the trouble you two have gotten into, and not having those type of grades. I wouldn't be surprised if they made you a Prefect. You and Harry are on the same level in a way. Let me know, by coming home and telling us in person, whether you're a prefect as well!  
  
Harry reckons they only made him a prefect, because he's been through so much. Harry even admits he doesn't have the grades to be a prefect, and being on the Quidditch Team doesn't necessarily make you a prefect, as the twins are beaters and they're not prefects. Then again, the twins cause way too much mischief to hold such a title.  
  
Well, I wrote enough for now. Come home already, won't you? I brought you back something. Please come home. Your mum misses you terribly, not to mention Harry and me. Come home!  
  
Love from,  
  
Hermione  
  
It did surprise Ron that Harry was made a prefect after all of the rule bending they did, but then again Harry wasn't ordinary at all. He deserved it after everything he went through, especially after the TriWizard Tournament last year.  
  
Ron looked at the second piece of parchment tied to Hedwig's leg. It was from Harry. Ron read it.  
  
Ron,  
  
I can't believe you're not at the burrow! I'm done my holiday work already, and I've already heard about Hermione's trip to Bulgaria. I've locked myself in your room to get away from your brother's trick sweets. I've polished my Firebolt, and I've flown around your paddock a few times. It's not a lot of fun without someone to fly with. The twins are too busy with their pranks to fly outside. With a family as big as yours, it seems impossible to imagine being bored a second, but I find myself bored now. It would be nice to have my best friend back. Please come home, I've got some really major news to tell you. Hermione doesn't think I should write it, incase the letter is intercepted. So I can tell you a few things, but I can't go into detail or say everything I want to.  
  
One, I'm a prefect. Can you believe that? Have you been made one? I don't know why I've been made one. I study a little more than you do, but still I can't imagine why they've made me a prefect. Snuffles is proud. He's visited me on more than one occasion. I know why I've been staying on Privet Drive every summer, but I can't explain until you come back. I've got so much to tell you! You haven't owled me all summer. You never even let me know you were going to your Grandfather's! You have to come back soon! I'm getting bored, and I miss my best friend. I hope to see you soon!  
  
-Harry  
  
Ron started to get homesick, but he didn't want to leave his Grandfather. He finally took the parchment from the last owl. It was from Hogwarts giving a list of school supplies he'd need for next year. Not surprisingly, he wasn't named a prefect.  
  
"I've told your mum how well you've been under my care. You're free to go whenever you choose to leave." Grandfather said, interrupting Ron's thoughts. Ron turned to find his Grandfather standing in the archway of the kitchen.  
  
"I'm not sure I'm ready to leave yet." Ron says.  
  
"Your friends and your family miss you." Grandfather says.  
  
"Yes sir, but what about you?" Ron asks.  
  
"Don't worry about me." Grandfather says.  
  
"I'm so used to everything around here now." Ron says.  
  
"You will always have a bed here." Grandfather says.  
  
"I'll miss you." Ron says.  
  
"That's good, I was afraid you'd leave hating me." Grandfather says.  
  
"That would be easier." Ron says.  
  
"You'll be leaving on the Knight Bus tonight." Grandfather says.  
  
"I better pack then." Ron says.  
  
After a long goodbye, Ron found himself carrying Pigwidgeon's cage and his trunk off of the Knight Bus and into the burrow. He brought all of his things upstairs into his room and unpacked before going downstairs and finding his family. Everyone was in the kitchen. His father was home. Everybody was sitting at the table eating.  
  
Ginny spotted her brother first. "Ron!" Ginny exclaims.  
  
"You're alive?" Fred asks.  
  
"How'd you survive?" George asks.  
  
"Ron, are you all right?" Mr. Weasley asks with concern.  
  
"Yes sir, I'm fine." Ron says.  
  
"Oh Ron, I'm so glad you're home!" Mrs. Weasley cries trying to hold back tears. She got up and hugged him, but he only returned it politely, as one would hug somebody to console him or her, not as a son would embrace his mother.  
  
Mrs. Weasley realized this and let go. "Are you hungry? I'll make you up a plate…" Mrs. Weasley started, wiping her eyes.  
  
"No, thank you. I've already eaten. May I go over Toby's? You're all in the middle of dinner, and I just want to let him know that I'm back." Ron says.  
  
"No, that's what sent you over to your grandfather's in the first place." Mrs. Weasley says pulling herself together.  
  
"No, my attitude from hanging out with Sabrina sent me to Grandpa's in the first place. It was never Toby." Ron corrects her. "Now may I go, please?"  
  
"No, I don't want you around him. Ever since you were little when you were friends with him, you'd cause too much trouble." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
"No more than Fred and George make." Percy says.  
  
Mrs. Weasley glares dangerously at him. Percy quickly becomes interested in his plate.  
  
"Well, he does have a point. Nobody causes more havoc and chaos than us." Fred says.  
  
"Keep your mouth closed when you're eating." Mrs. Weasley snaps.  
  
There was a knock on the front door.  
  
"May I answer the door please, since you're all eating?" Ron asks.  
  
"I don't think there's any harm in answering a door." Mr. Weasley says with a nod gesturing for Ron to go. Ron leaves for the door.  
  
"Unless Toby's on the other side." Mrs. Weasley mutters.  
  
"Mrs. Weasley, may I ask why you don't like Toby?" Harry asks.  
  
"Who is Toby?" Hermione asks.  
  
Just then, Toby enters the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley looks at Ron and then to Toby.  
  
"Mrs. Weasley, sorry for catching you in the middle of dinner like this, I was wondering if it was possible to talk with Ron for a few minutes." Toby asks.  
  
"Its Ron's first night back, could it possibly wait until morning?" Mrs. Weasley asks.  
  
"Mrs. Weasley, I don't mean to push on this, but I only need a minute of his time. My sister and Sabrina have driven me insane, and Ron's the only person who could bring back sanity, since Cedric's passed on. I'm only asking for a minute. Please?" Toby asks.  
  
"Five minutes. In the living room." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
"Thank you Mrs. Weasley, that's all I need." Toby says.  
  
Toby and Ron headed into the living room; where everybody in the kitchen quieted down to hear their conversation.  
  
"Ugh, I thought you'd never come back. There are too many girls around! Sabrina's practically moved in. I'm not kidding either! She's over our house every night. I think her parents are fighting or something. I mean there's got to be a logical reason as to why she's over there every night. Tabitha is one reason, but not a logical reason." Toby says.  
  
"There wasn't a logical reason as to why I was there every night before we started Hogwarts." Ron says.  
  
"Of course there was, and it was me. No explanation needed." Toby says.  
  
"Nobody could explain you if they tried, my friend." Ron jokes.  
  
"Hey!" Toby says.  
  
"No, but before I got shipped off, Sabrina and Tabitha were always talking at the kitchen table." Ron says.  
  
"Yea, but Tabitha doesn't go over to Sabrina's at all, except when she helps convince her parents to let her stay the night. Sabrina doesn't even go home. All her owls come to our house!" Toby says.  
  
"Maybe its because owls are smart and scent that she's there?" Ron asks.  
  
"Still, it's scary having two girls in the house, it's bad enough with just Tabitha." Toby says.  
  
"So what has Sabrina been up to, since I've been gone?" Ron asks.  
  
"You know her." Toby says.  
  
"Fast and free." Ron says.  
  
"She's a flirt though. I think that's what I hate most about having her stay with us. She hits on me constantly." Toby says.  
  
"Isn't that what you wanted?" Ron asks.  
  
"I thought that's what I wanted, but she's like Scarlett how she uses people for what she wants and then moves on. You remember Scarlett from that muggle movie, based on a book? We had to read it in primary school. It was based on that American war, what was it the Civil war?" Toby asks.  
  
"Oh! Gone With the Wind, that book got me into so much trouble." Ron says.  
  
"Oh yea, I remember, you said you wanted to curse the author and she was already dead, and your mum overheard you and chased you around with a broom." Toby says.  
  
"I forgot about that. I was mostly thinking of how badly I hated reading, and that was the biggest book I ever had to read and how I got so frustrated it kind of sailed across the room on it's own." Ron says.  
  
"The teacher had no idea what you did! But he blamed it on you anyway and sent you into a week of detentions for being disruptive." Toby says.  
  
"That teacher hated us. I think he secretly knew we were related to wizards and could do magic. That's why we were best friends with the Headmaster." Ron says.  
  
"No, I always thought he hated us, because you were related to the twins, and they were pretty bad back then, and I was your best friend." Toby says.  
  
"Oh well, I hated that teacher as well. I can't even remember his name, don't want to either." Ron says.  
  
"So, how was your grandfather's? You didn't sound happy in your owls." Toby says.  
  
"It was unbelievable there, compared to here. I had to work for everything, not to mention I had to do everything the muggle way." Ron says.  
  
"What do you mean?" Toby asks.  
  
"If I wanted breakfast I had to cut the lawns and take care of the gardens first. Then I had to cook my own breakfast. I had to learn how to cook too." Ron says.  
  
"That doesn't sound too bad. Not that I do any of that, but it could be worse." Toby says.  
  
"That was only before breakfast. After breakfast I had to fix up his house. One day he went after me, because I told him to fix his own roof. I had to nail all the shingles on to the roof, and if I messed up, I had to do it again. Another day I'd have to paint the side of his house. I'd have to clean out his attic and basement and storage room. It's not like he couldn't do anything. But he worked me so hard I was actually looking forward to doing my homework assignments. Even then, after I did them, he'd rip them up, because they weren't perfect." Ron says.  
  
"He must've changed you. You never liked picking up a pencil, and you looked forward to doing homework assignments? You must've worked until you were delirious." Toby says.  
  
"Yes, well luckily I'm back now. How's your father? Have you seen him at all this summer?" Ron asks.  
  
"Unfortunately. He stops by once a month. He doesn't give anything to my mum, not even a sickle. I hate him, but Tabitha still loves him." Toby says.  
  
"You hate your father?" Ron asks.  
  
"My mum can't spend enough time with us, because she has to spend more hours at the Ministry to raise us. She works herself to exhaustion everyday. Then she wakes up to it the next morning again. She deserves better than that. Tabitha needs my mum. She's always complaining how she never sees her. Yet, she loves the reason why my mum doesn't have time for her!" Toby says.  
  
"Your mum's got as much dignity as my parents. Even if your dad did want to help her out, she wouldn't take it. I mean maybe your mum wouldn't accept it, and just didn't tell you." Ron says.  
  
"No, my dad won't help her out with anything. He said if she wants help, for us to live with him, but she won't let that, and I wouldn't want that. I'd only go to him, if she was desperate." Toby says.  
  
"If things ever got that bad, you could stay here first. I don't care how crazy things got. If I had to move back with my Grandfather's for you to stay here, I'd do that." Ron says.  
  
"Ron, I know I'm better than a brother and all, but you would never sacrifice a muggle labor life with your grandfather for me." Toby says.  
  
"Well, we've come to a better understanding over the six weeks I was there." Ron says.  
  
"Really?" Toby asks.  
  
"Well, I'm alive, aren't I?" Ron asks.  
  
"You seem to be breathing, and everything seems to be all right, except your face, it looks like you got eaten by the lawnmower." Toby says.  
  
"How?" Ron asks.  
  
"Look at yourself in a mirror." Toby says.  
  
"What do you mean? My face was never harmed." Ron says.  
  
"Well it sure looks to me like you fell down an ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down." Toby teases.  
  
Ron punched Toby in the arm.  
  
"Ouch!" Toby says.  
  
"Toby you've gotten weaker over the years." Ron says.  
  
"No you've gotten stronger. Probably from working over the summer." Toby says.  
  
"Yes, well good old Grandpa says I don't have the brains or talent to make it as a wizard, so I might as well try to succeed in a muggle world." Ron says rolling his eyes.  
  
"Your grandfather needs to remember your only fifteen, and you do have brains and talent, only they're being held back. You've got brains. You just use them when you choose to. You've got talent I saw it. They're just distributed out equally or not stronger than the other." Toby says.  
  
"Why thank you Tobias." Ron says sarcastically.  
  
"I'm serious Ron." Toby says. He stands up. "Look, I better get going, because you need to catch up with everybody. Send me an owl when I can come visit you. You don't want to come to my house. You want to stay as far away from Sabrina as you can. I mean, what got you sent over to good old Granddaddy's in the first place?" Toby asks.  
  
"Right, well thanks for coming over. I'll owl you as soon as I can." Ron says.  
  
"Good seeing you." Toby says.  
  
"You too. Bye." Ron says.  
  
Toby left and Ron went back into the kitchen. "Just thought I'd let you know that Toby left." Ron says to his mother. "May I go upstairs to my room please?" Ron asks.  
  
"Since when do you ask to go to your room?" Ginny asks.  
  
"Oh yea. Sorry, keep forgetting where I am." Ron says.  
  
Ron leaves the kitchen and runs up to his room. He sees a bed's moved in there for Harry, and he lies down on his own bed, feeling grateful and comfortable. Ron felt more relaxed than he had in a while, laying in his own bed, without worrying about tomorrow's chore, or his Grandfather. He fell asleep.  
  
As everybody started cleaning up downstairs, Ginny brought up a realization that she had noticed.  
  
"Has anybody noticed how quiet Ron's been?" Ginny asks.  
  
"You don't think he's snuck out again?" Fred asks.  
  
"It didn't seem like he had a whole lot of fun at Grandfather's. I don't think he'd risk going back there just when he got back." Percy says.  
  
"Go check, Percy." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
"You don't honestly believe he would do something so stupid again, do you?" Percy asks.  
  
"Of course not, I meant just check on him." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
"Right." Percy says.  
  
Percy left the kitchen and ran up the stairs to Ron's room, to find him sound asleep.  
  
When he returned downstairs Hermione was talking.  
  
"Ron's snuck out before?" Hermione asks.  
  
"Yes, at the start of summer." Fred asks.  
  
"That's what got him sent off in the first place." George says.  
  
"No, his attitude and his actions with Sabrina sent him off in the first place." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
"He was sent to his Grandfather's as a punishment?" Harry asks.  
  
"Yes, our Grandfather's completely the opposite of our dad. He's extremely strict and everything must be perfect." George explains.  
  
"Well, did Ron sneak out?" Fred asks seeing Percy.  
  
"No, he's asleep." Percy says.  
  
"What?" George asks.  
  
"He's dead to the world." Percy says. "He fell asleep with his clothes on and everything, like he just laid on the bed and fell asleep."  
  
"Do you think Grandfather let him have a bed there? After all, he does hate Ron." George says.  
  
"Your Grandfather doesn't hate anybody! He's just disappointed when people don't live out to their potential. He doesn't like games, nonsense, and people fooling around. He doesn't like how Ron can be lazy, and either do I for that matter." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
"Then why doesn't he like dad?" Fred asks.  
  
"He loves your father, even he knows that. He just knows your father has enough potential to be the Minister of Magic, and he's disappointed that he never chose to be at a higher place, but you all know that it's your father's love for his job and muggles that keeps him there. I mean if he didn't, nobody would look out for them, and our code of secrecy would be broken." Mrs. Weasley explains.  
  
"Why doesn't he like us?" George asks.  
  
"I can name a few reasons." Percy says.  
  
"Mrs. Weasley who's Sabrina?" Hermione asks.  
  
"Sabrina Fawcett." Fred answers simply.  
  
"Who?" Harry asks.  
  
"Oh, I heard of her, isn't she the girl who- Oh!" Hermione says with a gasp. She covers her mouth with her hand in disbelief. "Ron was with her?" Hermione asks still in disbelief.  
  
"I don't understand, whose Sabrina? What's wrong with her?" Harry asks.  
  
"She's known for… sleeping around." Hermione whispers.  
  
"Wait, Ron-" Harry starts, but Hermione kicks him in the shin with a nod.  
  
"Yes, Ron was out of control at the beginning of summer. I'm not sure who encouraged his behavior, Toby or Sabrina, but I sent him to live with his Grandfather to get away from them. Supposedly, he has changed." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
"Hopefully he hasn't changed too much." Mr. Weasley says.  
  
"We'll see how much he's changed." Fred whispers to George.  
  
Later that evening, Harry went up to Ron's room to go to bed. He didn't want to wake Ron, but to his surprise, Ron was awake and writing in a small book.  
  
"Hey, I thought you were asleep." Harry says.  
  
"Yea, I just laid back in my bed, and crashed." Ron says.  
  
"Ron, did you really do what everyone says you did with Sabrina?" Harry whispers.  
  
"Whose everyone?" Ron asks.  
  
"Your family." Harry says.  
  
"I was stupid and let my hormones control me, yes, I slept with her." Ron says.  
  
"Why on earth would you do something so insanely stupid?" Hermione asks entering, and shutting the door behind her.  
  
"Hello Hermione how was your summer?" Ron asks.  
  
"It was great, thank you. What on earth were you thinking? Even I know of Sabrina's reputation!" Hermione says.  
  
"I don't regret doing it, I regret doing it with her, because she just used me. I wouldn't have minded if I had been going out with her, or if she actually liked me." Ron admits.  
  
"You're so stupid! You're only fifteen." Hermione says.  
  
"You don't understand. My hormones were controlling me Hermione, not my brain. I can't think of the logical or right thing to do at compromising situations, Hermione. It was a mistake, a very big mistake." Ron says.  
  
Harry and Hermione looked at each other. Hermione knew he regretted it now. Hermione and Harry both silently wondered why it took Hermione to make Ron truly sorry.  
  
"Well, are you two still speaking to me? I came home to see you two. I had hoped my mum wouldn't tell you. I didn't know what I was doing at the time and I'm sorry." Ron says.  
  
"I never stopped talking to you. She just took over." Harry says.  
  
"Well even though I do think that's wrong, I do believe you're sorry, and as you can plainly see, I am still talking to you." Hermione says.  
  
"Thanks, Harry what was the big news that you couldn't tell me in your letters?" Ron asks.  
  
"Oh, I found out the reason I have to live with my aunt and uncle the majority of the summers." Harry says.  
  
"Well, go on tell me. I knew there had to be some reason Dumbledore kept you with those horrible muggles. What is it?" Ron asks.  
  
"Well, I always thought Ms. Figg was just a muggle neighbor of mine, but she's really a witch that uses Polyjuice Potion for a disguise. If the Dursley's knew, they'd move away, and then Voldemort could easily get me if he wanted too. Ms. Figg's an auror, a very powerful witch, and nobody can touch me on Privet Drive, because of her powers." Harry says.  
  
"So why can't she protect you from the muggles, or at least take you in?" Ron asks.  
  
"I don't really know her." Harry says.  
  
"How were the Dursley's?" Ron asks.  
  
"They were crueler than ever to me, after the Ton-Tongue Toffee incident last year, I'm lucky they let me live. They didn't take Snuffles as a threat. He's still a fugitive in the muggle world too. They said they'd have the police there so quickly if he even stepped foot on Privet Drive. They said it wouldn't matter that he was a wizard, all they'd need to say was that I make contact with him. I didn't want to risk losing contact with Snuffles, so I've kind of been their slave." Harry says.  
  
"I thought you saw Snuffles a few times." Ron says referring to Harry's letters.  
  
"Oh I did. He snuck in as Padfoot when the Dursley's were asleep. He also was at Ms. Figg's house as well." Harry says.  
  
"Oh, have you been made a prefect?" Hermione asks.  
  
"No, but that's not a surprise." Ron says.  
  
"It is a surprise. I've been made one. We get into the same amount of trouble, me even more sometimes." Harry says.  
  
"Still you have better marks. Besides, your trouble always rewards you. Breaking all those rules to protect the Sorcerer's Stone, sneaking into the Forbidden Forrest to help Hagrid, and then entering the Chamber of Secrets saving my sister. You were out after dark and in the Forbidden Forrest, and in the shrieking shack, all to save Buckbeak and Snuffles. You didn't do anything wrong last year Harry. That was all set up. Not to bring up a bad memory, but it wasn't your fault Cedric died, it was You-Know-Who's." Ron says.  
  
"Ron, maybe you've forgotten, but you were there all those times with me." Harry says.  
  
"No, I didn't make it all the way when trying to save the Sorcerer's Stone, I didn't get through the rocks to help Ginny, I got knocked out when you freed Buckbeak and Snuffles, and you were the only one of us in the Tri- Wizard Tournament." Ron says.  
  
"Maybe that's why you were made a prefect, because of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. I mean you were the champion." Hermione says.  
  
"No, he makes good marks, and he's the best seeker in ages, I never doubted he would be made a prefect." Ron says.  
  
"You should ask Dumbledore." Hermione says.  
  
"You should ask McGonagall, she's the head of house, and she decides who's a prefect and what, but you don't have to. You're one of the best students, and you're one of her favorite students." Ron says. "Hermione is the best student and her favorite though." Ron quickly adds.  
  
"Thank you. Well, I'll talk to you two in the morning. I'm going to bed." Hermione says.  
  
"Goodnight." Ron says.  
  
Hermione stopped at the door and turned around. "Goodnight." Hermione says awkwardly.  
  
As Hermione left, walking down the stairs, she thought about it, and realized that Ron had never said Goodnight to her ever before, and it made her feel awkward. She wondered if his Grandfather had taught him to say sweet things, or was it part of his manipulation scams that Ginny had told her about. Perhaps, he had remembered how to be sweet after having such a tough time at his Grandfather's. Ginny had said the reason why her father was more of a friend than a father, was because his father was too much of a father, way too tough.  
  
Hermione brought herself back down to earth. 'Snap out of it'. She told herself. Hermione suspected that the reason she was losing it and feeling awkward around one of her best friends, was because of her secret breakup with Viktor leaving her feeling vulnerable. She saw boys in a whole new light. For some reason though, she had only felt awkward around Ron. When she heard about what he did with Sabrina, she was mad at him, but she couldn't help feeling jealous of Sabrina for some reason either. Hermione had a crush on one of her best friends. Hermione had a crush on Ron, but why? It made no sense. He was completely the opposite of her, and they were always bickering. Hermione took out a book and started reading. 'Books are far less complicated than boys.' She thought.  
  
Meanwhile, Ron and Harry were talking while playing Wizard's Chess. "So who's Toby?" Harry asks.  
  
"Toby's an old friend of mine. We went to Primary School together. We stopped talking before we entered Hogwarts, because we didn't think we'd be allowed to talk to each other once in separate houses, and we thought we'd be in different houses, which obviously we are, because his family was always sorted into Ravenclaw, and mine, obviously Gryffindor." Ron says.  
  
"But Hermione says that families aren't necessarily always going to be sorted into certain houses. I mean look at the Patil twins, and I was almost sorted into Slytherin." Harry says.  
  
"Yea, but we didn't exactly know. We only knew what the twins told us, which of course, were all lies." Ron says.  
  
"You haven't exactly spoken of him over the past four years we've been friends." Harry says.  
  
"I haven't spoken to him over the past four years, we've been friends, either. We ended our friendship before Hogwarts began, and then I met you. I mean I only ran into Toby at the start of the Holidays. I was really upset about something stupid and I guess I needed a friend who could understand, and you had enough problems with everything from last year. It was just convenient I ran into him." Ron says.  
  
"Ron, friends tell each other everything. You should've written to me! It's like you chose Toby to tell everything too, and nothing to me!" Harry says jealously.  
  
"He was close by, and he would understand, besides I didn't want you to have anything to worry about." Ron says.  
  
"What wouldn't I understand?" Harry asks.  
  
"Nothing. Look my problems are pathetic compared to yours, but I still have problems and Toby wouldn't consider my problems pathetic. They're the same kind of problems he has." Ron says.  
  
"Oh, now I understand… because his problems aren't as complicated as mine he's a better friend." Harry says.  
  
"What? I never said he was a better friend! I just didn't want to bother you with something so stupid, because I was afraid you'd think less of me! I went to him, because he won't judge me, and I have nothing to lose. He's not my best friend, Harry, you are. He's just a friend who understands me!" Ron says frustratingly.  
  
"I thought I was your best friend, but I was wrong. If you had a problem you should've written to me, but you didn't! You just so happen to run into your old pal Toby and you tell him!" Harry says.  
  
"I can't have more than one friend now? He was my best friend before Hogwarts. You're my best friend now." Ron says.  
  
"You're probably only friends with me, because I'm famous!" Harry says.  
  
"What?" Ron asks in disbelief.  
  
"You're probably only friends with me, because your family likes me, and because they don't like Toby. I mean you always want their acceptance in something. What? Am I being used for your acceptance in having made such a famous friend?" Harry asks.  
  
"What the hell are you on about? I can't believe you'd say something so absurd. I knew coming home, I'd be coming home to trouble with Toby and Sabrina, but because of your letter I risked it anyway." Ron says.  
  
"You came home to see Toby. The instant you got home, he knew about it. You didn't write me one letter all summer, but I bet he got quite a few." Harry says.  
  
"If he got owls they weren't from me, I was restricted from sending owls, even to my own family! You never sent me one owl either you know! Not until you got to the burrow. I knew I shouldn't have come back here. I wanted to let Toby know I was alive. He knows my Grandfather and how strict he is. I'm not talking to my parents right now. I hate them for sending me to my Grandfather's. I wasn't hungry, and I needed to talk to somebody. You were eating, and the Knight Bus probably alerted the whole village. That bus is crazy." Ron says.  
  
"You wanted to let Toby know you were alive, not me or Hermione." Harry says.  
  
"You saw that I was fine! You know what, forget it." Ron says irritatingly. He walks out of his room and slams the door. He runs down the stairs and out of the burrow.  
  
Fred, who had just come from the kitchen, saw Ron storm down the stairs and out of the house. Fred ran into the kitchen.  
  
George was just standing up to leave. Percy had been drinking tea with his parents and Ginny at the table.  
  
"I think there's something you should know." Fred says unsure if he should tell.  
  
"What?" George asks.  
  
"Err… maybe I shouldn't." Fred says thinking it would be best not to tattle on his younger brother. Something was obviously upsetting him. He'd be back eventually. But what if he's running away again?  
  
"No, you better tell, what is it?" Percy asks.  
  
"Ron just left. I don't think he's running away, but he just stormed out of the house." Fred says before he could stop himself.  
  
"Which direction?" Mr. Weasley asks.  
  
"Straight, out the front door." Fred says.  
  
"I'll owl Mrs. Lovegood. Percy, would you mind apparating over to the Fawcetts, and have them on alert that Ron has runaway and just to send him home if they see him." Mrs. Weasley asks.  
  
"I can't believe he wants to go back to Grandfather's so badly." George says.  
  
"He's not going back to your Grandfather's." Mr. Weasley says.  
  
"Yes, he is." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
"He's our son. I'm his father, I'll take care of this." Mr. Weasley says.  
  
"Well there's a first." Mrs. Weasley says. Fred and George covered their quick sniggers for a look of suspense.  
  
"I've taken care of Ron before." Mr. Weasley says.  
  
"If you had been here more, he might take you somewhat seriously." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
"I've been here every moment I can, but I've had to work to support this family." Mr. Weasley says.  
  
"You've never punished the boys, not once! I had to come up with the plan to send him to your father's. You've always been too indulgent with them. When you were home, you always found an excuse for them! When they were at school, who sent the howlers?" Mrs. Weasley asks.  
  
"Who was sent the owl with what they did wrong? I never got a report of their behavior, not once. I only hear about it from you. You want to take care of everything. You always say, oh don't worry; I've already taken care of it. I'll take care of it now. You've been the one in charge since they were born; I've never had to worry about them, because you've had everything taken care of. It was decided that I'd work and you'd stay home with the kids. You decided that, and I trusted you, because you were always smart with decisions, and I've always trusted your decisions, but sometimes I give the boys breaks, and you. You scream yourself hoarse when you get mad. I would never undermine your authority, and that's why I'm saying I don't want Ron to go to my father's now. I won't allow it." Mr. Weasley says.  
  
"What's your alternative?" Mrs. Weasley asks.  
  
"We don't even know that Ron has run away. I mean nobody's left to check anything yet. For all we know, he could just be out front. Or he could have come back and just went up the stairs. Or he could just have gone for a walk to blow off steam, Fred did say he stormed out, and that must mean he was upset about something." Mr. Weasley says.  
  
"Ginny dear, go check upstairs and make sure Ron's not up there, before we all start looking. George, Fred why don't you two go look around out front? Not too far it's after nine, and it's too dark for anybody to go through the forest, especially Ron. It's too dangerous anymore. Remember the owl your father got sent halfway through the summer." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
Ginny and the twins leave the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley gets a piece of parchment and quill and starts to write the Lovegoods.  
  
"Surely, You-Know-Who must've been spotted elsewhere by now. I mean Dumbledore wouldn't have allowed Harry to come if he was still a threat. Dumbledore must know about the threats, right?" Percy asks.  
  
"The warning was never lifted. Perhaps they forgot to or something. Perhaps, he was just never spotted elsewhere, but the warning remains." Mr. Weasley says.  
  
"Ron doesn't know about the warning, does he?" Percy asks.  
  
"No." Mrs. Weasley says looking up with worried eyes.  
  
Percy grabs his owl, Hermes from his perch and brings him over to his mum on his finger. "Bring that to Mrs. Lovegood, won't you?" Percy asks as Mrs. Weasley tied the parchment to the owl's leg. Hermes nipped at Percy's finger reassuringly, before it took off, flying out of the kitchen window.  
  
Ginny could be heard coming down the stairs and she ran into the kitchen. "He's not upstairs. Harry says they got into a fight, and he thought he just went downstairs." Ginny says.  
  
Fred and George run back inside the house out of breath.  
  
"I went as far as the forest, and didn't see him." Fred says.  
  
"I looked down the path and didn't see him. We searched the border, but neither of us saw him. Is he upstairs?" George asks Ginny.  
  
Ginny shakes her head. "No." Ginny says.  
  
Mrs. Weasley looks at Percy who nods, "I'm on my way now." Percy says and disapparates with a pop.  
  
Three hours later, a little after midnight Percy apparated home. "Well?" Mrs. Weasley asks.  
  
"Not at either house. Mrs. Lovegood plans to be in Toby's room tonight to make sure Ron doesn't sneak in, and I spoke with Mrs. Fawcett, and she and her husband plan to be up all night watching Sabrina's every move, incase Ron runs there. They'll stun him and owl us the minute they spot him." Percy assures them. 


	6. Ron Returns (And So Does Grandfather)

Chapter Five  
  
Ron Returns (And So Does Grandfather)  
  
The next morning, Harry and Hermione came downstairs to the kitchen to find Mrs. Weasley talking with Mr. Weasley, neither of who had slept last night.  
  
"I can't believe him. Molly, go to bed. I'm sure he's fine. He's probably pulling a stunt. When he comes home, because he will come home eventually, send me an owl immediately. I said I would take care of this, and I intend too. I don't want him going to his Grandfather's." Mr. Weasley says.  
  
Fred and George who had just woken up entered the kitchen, followed by Percy, who was dressed for work.  
  
"Where's Ron?" Fred asks.  
  
"He didn't come home last night?" George asks.  
  
"No boys, he didn't." Mr. Weasley says.  
  
"Dad, was that caution ever lifted?" Fred says.  
  
"Not that I can say." Mr. Weasley says.  
  
"Oh no! What if he was going to Toby's, and he was running through the forest! He doesn't know about the warning." George says.  
  
"What warning?" Harry and Hermione ask in unison.  
  
"About the middle of July an auror spotted You-Know-Who around this area. Not where we live, but as a precaution no muggle or wizard in the vicinity of Devon is allowed out after dark. Especially not near the forests. I think they spotted him somewhere near Dartmoor, southwest of us, but they have us all alerted. I think your brother's just fine George, but it's good to know you're concerned for him." Mr. Weasley says.  
  
"Oh, well if he was killed, since I was so concerned for my brother, can I get his owl?" George asks.  
  
Mrs. Weasley smacked him in the back of the head.  
  
"I was just asking!" George says backing away rubbing the back of his head.  
  
"You were asking for a smack in the head." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
Just then there was a knock on the front door. "I'll get it." Percy says. He leaves the kitchen.  
  
Mrs. Weasley made everyone a plate of breakfast and a cup of tea, while they waited for Percy to come back.  
  
Percy came back looking anxious. "Mum… the person at the door wants to speak to you or dad." Percy says.  
  
"Who is it?" Fred asks.  
  
"Somebody for mum or dad, whoever's not busy." Percy says.  
  
"I'll see who it is. Sit down and have some breakfast before you go to work, dear." Mrs. Weasley says patting his shoulder.  
  
"I'm not going to have the appetite shortly." Percy says.  
  
"Why? Percy, who was at the door?" Mr. Weasley asks.  
  
Just then however, Ron walked into the kitchen. "Ron, where were you?" Mr. Weasley asks.  
  
"I wasn't at Toby's or Sabrina's. Don't worry!" Ron says making himself some tea.  
  
"That doesn't answer my question, where were you?" Mr. Weasley asks.  
  
"I went for a walk." Ron says. His hands were shaking as he picked up his cup of tea and sipped it.  
  
Harry looked at Hermione and she had noticed this too.  
  
"Boys, Hermione, would you mind giving us a few minutes, please?" Mr. Weasley asks.  
  
"Yes." Fred and George reply in unison. Mr. Weasley looks at them.  
  
"You said you were going to punish him, I want to see this." George explains.  
  
"Out!" Mr. Weasley snaps pointing toward the living room.  
  
He watches as they all walk out of the room.  
  
"That means out of earshot Fred and George!" Mr. Weasley yells.  
  
"What?" George asks.  
  
"See, we can't hear you!" Fred says.  
  
"Upstairs, now." Mrs. Weasley barks at the twins.  
  
"Oh boy, he's in deep." George says as their mother escorts them away from the kitchen.  
  
"You're going to send me back to Grandfather's?" Ron asks.  
  
"No, what made you think that?" Mr. Weasley asks.  
  
"The twins. They said you're punishing me. I figured that's my punishment, and you're sending me there, so I won't hate mum as much." Ron says.  
  
"What made you leave last night?" Mr. Weasley asks.  
  
"I got into an argument with Harry, and I went to blow off some steam." Ron says.  
  
"All night?" Mr. Weasley asks.  
  
"No, after the first half hour when I was done, I'd knew mum would be flipping, and I didn't feel like listening to her yell for just walking around my own neighborhood for a half hour, but I knew she would anyway, so I figured I'd chill the night outside. I swear I didn't go over Toby's or Sabrina's." Ron says.  
  
"All night, you were outside?" Mr. Weasley asks.  
  
"Not all night." Ron says sipping some more of his tea.  
  
"Why'd you knock on the door?" Mr. Weasley asks.  
  
"I didn't." Ron says honestly.  
  
Mr. Weasley looks at Percy, "Who knocked on the door?" Mr. Weasley asks.  
  
Percy opened his mouth to say something, but saw his infuriated mother storming toward the kitchen and picked up the Daily Prophet.  
  
Mrs. Weasley walked in and pointed her wand at one of the chairs. She transfigured it into a door and levitated it over to the opening of the kitchen and put it in place, so that nobody could walk in, or hears all of the yelling.  
  
"Who was at the door, Molly?" Mr. Weasley asks.  
  
"The muggle police officer that brought him home!" Mrs. Weasley whispers dangerously as she looks at Ron.  
  
"The muggle police? Ron what the hell did you do?" Mr. Weasley asks not bothering to keep his voice down.  
  
"I was just walking around, blowing off steam. The muggles have a curfew. They pick anybody up who's out after a certain time." Ron says.  
  
"They picked him up at 3:30 this morning, and he refused to tell them his name or where he lived until this morning." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
"Was it just for curfew?" Mr. Weasley asks.  
  
"Yes, you know the warning, no wizard or muggle is allowed out after a certain time. When they finally did get it out of him, they had no record of any Weasley, so they thought he was joking. Someone from the Ministry came and verified he was telling the truth and brought him home. Luckily, he got off with a warning. If it happens again, we could face a fine, and a muggle fine, and they aren't any easier." Mrs. Weasley says. "But you want to take care of this one. So go ahead. I think it would just be easier to owl your father. He was doing so well over there. He's only getting into trouble here." Mrs. Weasley adds.  
  
"I didn't know there was a curfew!" Ron interrupts.  
  
"You knew damn well, not to runaway. You knew you weren't to be out after dark. Those rules were set from Bill's years growing up. They've stayed the same! You knew not to lie, you could've told the police officer sooner, and he would've brought you home. It didn't matter what time it was! We were up all night worrying about you. I'm going to be late for work, and I'm already exhausted as it is, and this is all because of your reckless behavior!" Mr. Weasley yells.  
  
Ron wasn't sure whether to be frightened or laughing. He was scared to hear his father, of all people, yelling at him, but at the same time, his father had never seriously punished him, so he thought of it as a very funny joke, but he controlled his thoughts, and decided to keep a neutral face about the situation. His mum was still present.  
  
"Go to your room! STAY THERE! God help you, if you're not there when I get home from work tonight. You're to stay there until I can deal with you tonight. You're grounded, until I have time to think of a proper punishment!" Mr. Weasley says.  
  
Ron looked to his mum for permission to go upstairs; she had always been the boss. "You heard your father, go on!" Mrs. Weasley snaps. Ron leaves the kitchen, and he could be heard going up the stairs.  
  
"He didn't take me seriously for a second." Mr. Weasley says.  
  
"If you weren't so indulgent with them, he might've." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
"Don't worry about it. It's great to have a father like you. You're nothing like Grandfather. I think I'd have runaway myself, had I grown up with him. Besides, when mum's on the warpath, its good to have a peacemaker stopping her." Percy says.  
  
"Aren't you late for work?" Mrs. Weasley asks.  
  
"Bye mum, love you." Percy says disapparating.  
  
"Don't worry about Ron today. Let me deal with him when I get home. Please trust me on this. If I do horrible at it, you can owl my father." Mr. Weasley says.  
  
"I won't even talk to him until you get back." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
"Thank you. I love you, take care." Mr. Weasley says. He kisses his wife and disapparates.  
  
Later on that day, there was another knock on the door to the burrow. Fred or George, Mrs. Weasley wasn't really sure, offered to get it. Both boys ran into the kitchen looking excited yet scared.  
  
"Boys, who's at the door?" Mrs. Weasley asks as she laughs at the expression on their face.  
  
"Hello Molly, dear. How are you?" Grandfather asks as he enters the kitchen.  
  
"John? What are you doing all the way over here? Can I get you some tea?" Mrs. Weasley asks.  
  
"Please." Grandfather says.  
  
Mrs. Weasley fixes him a cup of tea.  
  
"Thank you." Grandfather says taking it from her.  
  
"Your welcome. May I ask what brings you over here?" Mrs. Weasley asks.  
  
"My grandson. I heard muggle police arrested him. I'm here to discipline him." Grandfather says.  
  
"John, I do appreciate you coming here, but Arthur wishes to handle him." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
"When? At the end of the week, when he gets time?" Grandfather asks. "No, he's not going to do it, he'll postpone it, and forget about it, and Ronald won't take it seriously, because it's going to be too late." Grandfather says.  
  
"Arthur promised me he'd take care of whatever this problem is, by the end of the night. Otherwise, I would send him straight to you. You seemed to have no problems with Ron, while he was there, but I promised Arthur I'd give him a chance." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
"Grandpa, how did you hear about Ron?" Fred asks daringly.  
  
"I have my connections. Who do you think helped your mum and dad out of paying a hefty fine? I paid the Ministry worker to let Ronald off with a warning. Otherwise, Ron could've stayed in that muggle jail until you raised enough money to trade in for muggle money and then bail him out. If you couldn't get enough money together quick enough, Ron would be in what the muggles call a Juvenile Detention Center. It would've done him good, mind you, but I didn't want you to panic over his sudden disappearance." Grandfather explains.  
  
"How did you know that Ron was arrested though?" George asks.  
  
"As an auror, I have special privileges. I placed a tracking charm on Ron. I check on him now and then. It alerted me when he was not inside the house at two thirty. Then muggles had a run in with him, and I decided to check it out. I apparated to the gates of the Ministry and asked about it, and I talked with the representative that works with muggle and wizard relations, and I gave him the location the tracking charm had traced down, and he negotiated with the muggles." Grandfather explains.  
  
"You can make yourself at home, if you wish, but unless you talk with Arthur, or unless Arthur doesn't carry through, I can't allow you to discipline Ron. I would've already punished him, but Arthur wants to take care of this." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
"I'll be speaking with my son then, excuse me, I should be back shortly." Grandfather says. He leaves the house.  
  
Fred looks at George, and George leaves the kitchen. Fred, confused, follows his twin up the stairs into Ron's room. They find Harry playing Wizard's Chess against Ron, while Hermione sat on Ron's bed reading a big book.  
  
Ron looks up at them, while Harry ponders his next move.  
  
"What?" Ron asks.  
  
"We've come to say our goodbyes." George says.  
  
"Why is dad home already?" Ron asks.  
  
"Would we have to say goodbye if dad actually were to punish you?" Fred asks.  
  
"No, that's why I don't understand why you're up here. Dad won't remember to punish me; this is probably the worst it's going to get. I'll be grounded to my room. So what do you want already?" Ron asks.  
  
"We want to wish you a better life in the next world, after you die." George says.  
  
"Get to the point already." Ron says, as he moves his bishop to take Harry's knight out.  
  
"Well, once Grandfather kills you, we were wondering if we, having been so nice to you, get to inherit Pig?" George asks.  
  
"Grandfather only gets to kill me if dad fails to punish me. Harry, you're in check." Ron says.  
  
"Well, Grandfather was just here." George says.  
  
"What? Why? Mum, wasn't supposed to write to him! What's he doing here? He doesn't know, does he?" Ron asks.  
  
"He knew before mum and dad did. He placed a tracking charm on you, and it went off when you were out at 2:30. He went to the Ministry and talked with the people from muggle wizard relations, and Grandfather paid him to talk to the muggles to let you off with a warning. He came here to punish you, but mum said dad said no. He's gone to talk with dad." Fred says.  
  
"Oh no! He's going to kill me!" Ron cries.  
  
"That's what I said. So can we get Pigwidgeon?" George asks.  
  
"Does he still have a tracking charm on me now?" Ron asks.  
  
"Yep." Fred says.  
  
"Damn! He said he was going to break my legs, if I ran away again!" Ron says.  
  
"Relax, I'm sure it was just a threat Ron, or an exaggeration." Hermione says.  
  
"No, my Grandfather doesn't make threats, he makes promises, and he never exaggerates, he understates." Ron says with tears of fear in his eyes.  
  
"He can't break your legs, that's child abuse." Hermione reassures him.  
  
"He can, you don't know my Grandfather. He's made his own rules. He can break a bone and then repair it without anybody knowing it, and my leg's been broken before, mind you, and it hurts." Ron says.  
  
"So, can we get Pigwidgeon?" George asks.  
  
"George, you're not helping, do you mind?" Hermione asks.  
  
"That's what I'm asking." George says toward Ron.  
  
"Get out." Hermione says pointing to the door.  
  
"Man, who died and made you queen of the bi-" Fred shut the door, blocking out the rest of George's remark.  
  
Hermione shut her book and left the room going after the twins.  
  
"Ooh, they set her off." Harry says.  
  
"My Grandfather's going to kill me Harry, what am I supposed to do?" Ron asks.  
  
"Pray that your dad follows through with his promise of punishing you." Harry suggests.  
  
"Either way I'm doomed." Ron says. "Checkmate."  
  
Grandfather returned later that evening. "Molly, Arthur's gave me his consent to discipline my grandson. He needs to be disciplined right." Grandfather says.  
  
"Should I pack his things, then?" Molly asks.  
  
"No, this shouldn't take more than a minute." Grandfather says.  
  
"All right then." Molly says.  
  
Grandfather climbed the stairs to Ron's room. He knocked on the door, before letting himself in.  
  
Ron gasped in surprise.  
  
"Excuse me, I hope I'm not interrupting anything. I need to speak with my Grandson." Grandfather says.  
  
"You're Ron's Grandfather?" Hermione asks.  
  
"Yes, Ronald, how impolite not to introduce your guests. Although, being on groundment never included guests to my knowledge, and I spoke to your father, and he said you were grounded." Grandfather says.  
  
"Grandfather, these are my friends, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter. Harry, Hermione, my Grandfather." Ron says.  
  
"Nice to meet you sir." Harry says.  
  
"A pleasure." Hermione says.  
  
"Such nice manners. I can't imagine why two nice kids such as yourselves would associate with a miscreant like my grandson." Grandfather says.  
  
"Ron's not a miscreant sir." Hermione says.  
  
"I wouldn't be so sure, on the road he's taking." Grandfather says. "Might I have five minutes, please?"  
  
Harry had no intention of moving, and as much as Hermione didn't want to leave Ron with such a mean person, she knew she had better. "Harry, come on downstairs. We should help Mrs. Weasley with dinner." Hermione says grabbing Harry's arm. "A pleasure to have met you sir." Hermione says shoving Harry out of the room.  
  
She shut the door behind her, and tried to get Harry to start down the stairs, but he was fighting to go back. "Come on Harry, I don't want to hear this." Hermione cried pushing him. He reluctantly went down the stairs.  
  
They went downstairs to the kitchen. "Mrs. Weasley, can't you change Ron's Grandfather's mind? I think Ron's learned his lesson, really! He wouldn't have runaway, if I hadn't argued with him. I should've been the one to leave. I started the whole thing, it was so stupid, and he's the one being punished for it! Please don't let that man punish him!" Harry cries.  
  
"Harry, this has nothing to do with you. He's been out of control all summer! If he had a fight with you, he could've come back, or he could've just come downstairs. He could've slept on the couch or in one of his brother's rooms. His Grandfather saved us from a huge muggle fine, by letting Ron go but Ron can't always get away with everything. He's got to learn, and I wish it didn't have to be like this, but it is. I don't know what's gotten into him, but he needs to be changed. Don't feel this is your fault at all. Don't put guilt on yourself. Ron's earned this." Molly says.  
  
"Mrs. Weasley, Ron says that his Grandfather's going to break his legs. He's not really going too, is he?" Hermione asks, she couldn't help her fingers from fidgeting.  
  
"No, of course not, dear. Would you two mind helping me set the table?" Mrs. Weasley asks.  
  
"Of course not." Hermione says. She hands Harry silverware, while she takes plates. She warns him to help her with a look in her eyes.  
  
After they had set the table, Mrs. Weasley had asked them to fetch the twins and Ginny for dinner.  
  
Hermione let herself into Ginny's room and let her know, while Harry climbs to the next floor and alerts the twins.  
  
When everybody was seated at the dinner table, Grandfather entered the kitchen. "Well Molly, the boy won't be able to walk outside, I doubt he'll be running away again anytime soon." Grandfather says.  
  
Mrs. Weasley swallowed back tears for her son. It was apparent she didn't approve of physical punishment, but she wasn't about to say it in front of her father in-law.  
  
"Thank you John. May I offer you some dinner, while you're here?" Mrs. Weasley asks offering him a plate.  
  
"Thank you Molly, it's hard to believe that such a wonderful woman like yourself gave birth to him." John says looking up, gesturing to Ron.  
  
"Ron's a wonderful son. He's just going through a hard time right now." Mrs. Weasley says defensively.  
  
"I'm not saying its your fault, I know its Arthur who's responsible for his lack of manners and his unwise decisions, I mean look at where he is in the Ministry." Grandfather says shaking his head.  
  
"Arthur's happy where he is in the Ministry, it's where he chooses to be." Molly says.  
  
"He doesn't have a choice when he has kids to feed, not to mention seven of them." John says.  
  
"Bill and Charlie have moved out, and we have enough. If we didn't, I'd work, but we've always been able to manage." Molly says.  
  
"Bill and Charlie were good boys." Grandfather says. "And of course there was Percy and I never fear that Ginny will be like those two troublemakers or the one upstairs." Grandfather says gesturing toward the twins.  
  
"John, may I inquire a word in the living room, please?" Mrs. Weasley asks.  
  
"Of course." Grandfather says.  
  
"Excuse us." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
The twins listen eagerly for the conversation.  
  
"John, I appreciate everything you've done to help us out with Ron, but I can't allow you to bad mouth my family in front of my children, their guests, and myself." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
"Molly, I'll be leaving shortly, but I don't think its proper for one who's grounded, whom is Ron, to be having his friends in his home. The correct groundment is to keep him apart from the things he likes, friends, girls, and fun in general. What you need to do is keep him busy and away from his social life with chores. Keep him busy, and you'll keep him out of trouble. If I find he's in to any more trouble, I'll see to it he spends all his holidays with me until he's finished Hogwarts." Grandfather warns. "I'll take my plate home with me, I'll owl it back."  
  
"You can keep it." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
"Thank you. I'll have to come again." Grandfather says reentering the kitchen. He takes his plate. He kisses Ginny, and shakes hands with Harry and Hermione.  
  
"Nice to have met you sir." Hermione and Harry say in unison.  
  
"Nice to have met the both of you as well. Be careful of what kind of friends you make. You both ought to watch your back with the one who's upstairs." Grandfather says before disapparating.  
  
"I'm sorry about all of that. Eat your dinners, I need to go check on Ron." Mrs. Weasley says. She leaves the kitchen with tears in her eyes.  
  
Mrs. Weasley knocks on Ron's door before entering. Mrs. Weasley gasps as she sees her son. Ron is lying on his stomach on his bed, with his shirt off, and his back was covered with welts. His face was buried in his pillow, but he wasn't crying.  
  
"Ron, sweetheart, I am so sorry!" Mrs. Weasley cries. She walks over to his bedside.  
  
Ron lifted his head and looked back at his mother. "You told him to punish me, what were you expecting?" Ron asks hoarsely.  
  
"Not this! Has he done this to you before?" Mrs. Weasley asks.  
  
"I wanted to write you to make you let me come home, but I figured this is what you asked Grandfather to do. You sent me there. I thought you had him whip me, so I would hate him and not you." Ron says resting his head on his arms.  
  
"No, I just thought he was making you work hard, and he deprived you of bad company for example, Sabrina." Mrs. Weasley asks.  
  
"He did that. I didn't have time to find any company, because I was always busy with something. Some days, he gave me chores that wore me down to exhaustion, and I couldn't take it anymore and I flipped out. Stupid on my part, it wasted my energy and earned me a whipping, but I do everything the wrong way." Ron says.  
  
"No, no you don't do everything the wrong way." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
"You're right I know how to dress the right way. I mean my shoes aren't on the wrong foot." Ron says sarcastically.  
  
Mrs. Weasley smiles that her son hadn't lost his sense of humor. "Will you ever forgive me?" Mrs. Weasley asks.  
  
"It wasn't your fault. It was my own." Ron says.  
  
"You may have been out of control sometimes, but you don't deserve this." Mrs. Weasley says.  
  
"No, Grandfather says I deserve worse, actually." Ron says.  
  
"Forget about what your Grandfather says, won't you?" Mrs. Weasley asks.  
  
"I wish, but it's a bit hard when it's scarred your back." Ron says. 


	7. Diagon Alley

**Chapter Six**

**Diagon Alley**

** Mrs. Weasley did her best to heal Ron's back, but Ron was still sore, when he walked around. After the second day, he was outside trying to de-gnome the garden. However, it hurt him to throw them, so as they didn't get very far, they returned and only after the third time Ron threw the same one, did they stop coming. When Hermione awoke to find him outside working, she offered to help.**

**"I'm not very good at throwing, mind you, but in your condition right now, you aren't either, and it couldn't hurt to have another pair of arms, if you want them." Hermione says. **

**"I'd appreciate any help you could give me Hermione, your arms would definitely help me, thank you." Ron says. **

**"Well, your welcome. Now what exactly, am I supposed to do?" Hermione asks. **

**"Pick 'em up, spin them around, then throw them out of the yard as far as you can. It won't hurt them; it will just make them dizzy. Grab them by their feet so they can't bite you." Ron says. **

**"Right." Hermione says. **

**Ron picks one up by its ankles and demonstrates. He spins around in a circle holding it at arms length and kicks it. It flies into the next yard. Ron moans and rubs his lower back. **

**"Still sore?" Hermione asks. **

**"Just wasn't prepared for that." Ron says. **

**Hermione grabs one by its foot. In a desperate attempt to get away, the gnome lifts it's self up and bites Hermione's wrist, causing her to drop it. "Ouch!" Hermione cries. **

**"Are you all right? You don't have to do this, you know. I appreciate the offer." Ron says. **

**"No, I'm fine." Hermione says rubbing her wrist. "Where is that stupid little bugger?" Hermione asks. She finds it running toward the garden and dives after it, grabbing it by its feet. She stands up, holding it a good distance away from her body, and spins around in circles until she, herself becomes dizzy. She throws the gnome, though she wasn't sure exactly where she threw it, as she began to fall. **

**Ron caught her, just before she hit the ground. "Hermione, you're supposed to make IT dizzy, not you." Ron says. "Are you sure you still want to do this? You really don't have too." **

**"I know I don't have too, and I certainly don't want to de-gnome a garden, but I do want to help you, so that's why I'm still out here." Hermione says. **

**"Well, I appreciate that, thank you." Ron says. **

**"Your welcome." Hermione says. **

**Ron and Hermione had fun kicking and throwing the gnomes as far away as they could, getting their vengeance for biting Hermione. Hermione often fell down from making herself so dizzy, and Ron would laugh at her. Hermione got her laugh too, Ron had fallen and collided right into her. **

**They finished just in time for lunch. Ron made two sandwiches and gave Hermione one. **

**"Where's Harry?" Ron asks. **

**"Fred and George conned him into going into their room to supposedly talk. I suspect he's been turned into some type of creature, for him to not have come downstairs yet." Hermione says. **

**Ron made another sandwich for Harry and they went up the stairs and knocked on the twins' bedroom door. **

**"Who is it?" Fred or George called, Ron wasn't sure as he couldn't see them. **

**"Ron. Is Harry in there?" Ron calls. **

**"Yes, now go away." One of the twins says. **

**"Can I at least see him so that we know he's not a canary?" Ron asks. **

**"For a price." One of the twins says. **

**"Just make him say something, so I don't have to worry about him." Ron says. **

**"I'll be out in a minute Ron." Harry says. **

**"Okay, just making sure you're all right." Ron calls. **

**"You did, now scram." One of the twins calls. **

**Ron looks at Hermione and they head downstairs. They were eating on the sofa when Mrs. Weasley came downstairs. **

**"Where were you?" Ron asks. **

**"Upstairs storing some of Percy's stuff in the attic." Mrs. Weasley explains. "Your Grandfather wants me to keep you busy, would you mind raking the leaves or trimming the lawns more?" **

**"Trimming the lawns." Ron says. **

**"Then go rake the leaves. There's supposed to be some muggle rake in your father's garage." Mrs. Weasley says. **

**"Yes mum." Ron says. **

**"Oh, before I forget, we're going to Diagon Alley first thing tomorrow, will you be able to go, or should I just get your stuff for you?" Mrs. Weasley asks. **

**"No, I'll be able to go." Ron says. **

**"Good, then get started on those leaves. Your Grandfather wants you to earn your privileges." Mrs. Weasley says. **

**Hermione offered to help rake the leaves. They raked all the leaves into a huge pile, which Ron subtly pushed Hermione into. **

**"I can't believe you!" Hermione asks as she struggled to get up, seeing leaves scatter around her. **

**"Look what you did! Now we have to rake them all up again!" Hermione yells. **

**"Hermione, calm down, will you? It was just a little fun. If it's such a big deal, I'll rake the leaves up again, all by myself." Ron says. **

**"How can you do so much work just to mess it all up?" Hermione asks with disbelief. **

**"Easily. Do I need to show you again?" Ron asks. **

**"No! I mean why would you do something so foolish after all that hard work?" Hermione asks. **

**"For the look on your face. It was priceless." Ron says. Then as an afterthought he adds, "This work is easy compared to what my Grandfather had me doing." Ron says. **

**Harry came outside looking confused. "What's going on?" Harry asks. **

**"I'm raking the leaves." Ron says. **

**"You're doing a good job, looks like you're almost finished." Harry says. **

**"Correction, we did a great job of raking the leaves. We just finished, but Ron had to be immature and push me on to the pile." Hermione says irritably. **

**"Yes, but Harry, if you would've seen the look on her face." Ron says cracking up. **

**"I'm sure it was great." Harry says. He wanted to laugh with Ron, but the look from Hermione told him otherwise. **

**"What were you doing in the twins' room?" Hermione asks. **

**"Talking." Harry says. "I was seeing their inventions, not trying them." **

**"Well you were up there so long, I thought you had been turned into a canary and mistakenly eaten by Crookshanks." Hermione says. **

**"I never thought of that. That would be interesting, I think we should try it with Ginny." Ron says. **

**"You won't either! Ginny's never done anything wrong to you. What's your problem with her?" Hermione asks. **

**"Nothing, I just wanted to see if it would work. Do you think Crookshanks would kill her, or do you think Crookshanks would blow up, when Ginny returned to normal size?" Ron wonders aloud. **

**"Why not sacrifice one of your brothers?" Hermione asks. **

**"My parents would miss Percy too much, and if I sacrificed one twin, the other would kill me." Ron says. **

**"Well it doesn't matter, because Crookshanks will be far away from the twins' room, and YOUR room!" Hermione says going inside the house. **

**"She acted as if I were serious." Ron says grinning. **

**Harry laughed. "I wish I could've seen her face." Harry says. **

**"It was brilliant. It would've made you laugh and laugh and laugh." Ron says as he pushes Harry into the pile. Ron fell on the ground laughing. **

**"Very funny." Harry says standing up and kicking leaves at him. "Now get up and rake these leaves." Harry says walking away. **

**Ron rolled his eyes. His friends had left him to clean up the mess all by himself, but Ron thought it had been worth the laugh. **

**When Ron came in the house, everyone was just getting his or her dinners. Mr. Weasley and Percy were both home. **

**"Oh good, you're finally done. I was just about to call you in for supper." Mrs. Weasley says. **

**"I'm going to go wash up, then I'll be ready to eat." Ron says leaving the kitchen and going up the stairs. **

**"Is he still mad at me?" Mr. Weasley asks. **

**"I didn't know he was." Percy says. **

**Mr. Weasley excuses himself from the table and leaves the kitchen. He walks up to Ron's room. "Ron?" Mr. Weasley calls as he knocks on the door. **

**Ron lets him in his room. "I was just coming down to dinner now." Ron says. **

**"Wait just a minute, please. I'm really sorry that I didn't stop your Grandfather from punishing you. I knew what he was going to do, but I couldn't say no to my own father, because he still has control over me, as absurd as it sounds. He paid your way out of a muggle prison, if he didn't we'd never know where you were, and we'd never have enough wizard money, let alone muggle money to bail you out. He said that if I didn't discipline you right, he'd take you until you were finished Hogwarts. I couldn't whip you. I knew how much I hated my father for it. I didn't want you to hate me. So I said discipline him this time, but you won't need to discipline him anymore, and he agreed not to fight me about taking you in every summer, and the holidays. I'm sorry that you had to put up with him. You didn't deserve it. I didn't think he'd whip you. I prayed he wouldn't. Your mother said she only asked that he kept you busy and out of trouble. I knew he wouldn't have a problem keeping you out of trouble, but I hoped that he wouldn't punish you so severely. I'm sorry." Mr. Weasley says. **

**"Its not your fault dad. I understand." Ron says. **

**"Are you still mad at me?" Mr. Weasley asks. **

**"Dad, I was never mad at you." Ron says. **

**"Your mum?" Mr. Weasley asks. **

**"No, don't worry about it. May I go have dinner now?" Ron asks. **

**"Of course." Mr. Weasley says. **

**The following morning, Mrs. Weasley awoke everybody and they took Floo Powder to Diagon Alley. **

**After getting money from their vaults, they came out of Gringotts Bank and Mrs. Weasley spoke to Ron and everybody. **

**"Listen, I trust you to be by yourself with Harry and Hermione. Do not cause trouble, or you'll be living with your Grandfather, which will be out of our control." Mrs. Weasley says. **

**"I have no intentions of causing trouble." Ron says. **

**"Harry and I will keep him in hand, Mrs. Weasley." Hermione assures her. **

**"Thank you." Mrs. Weasley says. "Stay out of trouble!" **

**"I will." Ron promises. **

**"Take this and get your books, we'll meet back here in an hour's time." Mrs. Weasley says. **

**Ron, Harry, and Hermione set off for their school supplies. They stopped in the Stationary Store to get parchment, quills, and ink for this year. Harry and Ron wanted to stop into Quality Quidditch Supplies, but Hermione insisted they buy their books first. **

**So they went into Flourish & Blotts to buy their books. In Flourish & Blotts, they ran into the Patil twins, Padma of Ravenclaw and Parvati of Gryffindor. Both girls were wearing their robes, and both girls wore their long dark hair in high ponytails. They were the prettiest girls of the year, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan their fellow classmates would say. **

**After getting their books and paying for them they left the store, but before they could go anywhere else, Padma stopped them. "Ron, do you think I could talk to you for a second?" Padma asks. **

**"Sure." Ron says. He walks over to Padma. Parvati had just found Lavender and ran off to go talk with her. Harry and Hermione looked at each other wondering what Padma had to say to him. Unfortunately, for them they couldn't get close enough to hear their conversation. **

**"How was your summer?" Padma asks. **

**"I've had better, how was yours?" Ron asks. **

**"Mine was pretty good. I heard some rumors about Sabrina and you, are they true?" Padma asks. **

**"Yes. I made a mistake." Ron says. **

**"Wow, that's impressive. You're actually sorry, and you didn't lie about it. I was thinking maybe we could hang out more this year, I had fun talking to you when I passed you in the corridors." Padma says. **

**"I had fun too. Would it be all right if I were to owl you some time?" Ron asks. **

**"I'd like that." Padma says. **

**"Good, well I have to go, I'm sort of on a short leash with my mum right now. I'm not supposed to be within ten feet of a female. Hermione doesn't count, because she's just a friend, but I'll be sure to owl you." Ron says. **

**"All right, I'll see you later then." Padma says. **

**"Yea, I'll see you." Ron says. **

**He walks back over to Harry and Hermione. **

**"What was that about?" Harry asks. **

**"Oh nothing." Ron says. **

**"You're supposed to tell friends everything, remember? I mean we are still your friends, aren't we?" Hermione asks. **

**"Of course, but you never told us about that Time Turner." Ron says. **

**"I did too, or how would you know about it?" Hermione asks. **

**"You didn't tell me when I wanted to know. Harry had to find out for himself, and that's when you explained everything." Ron says. **

**"That's not fair! McGonagall made me promise not to tell. It was a direct order from the Ministry! There's a difference, you know." Hermione says. **

**"I never hid anything from you, you've got to tell me." Harry says. **

**"Fine, Padma was just wondering if I was interested in hanging out with her. She said she enjoyed my company when I walked her to one of her classes after meeting up with her in the corridors last year." Ron explains. **

**"What did you say?" Hermione asks appalled. **

**"I told her I'd like too. Why? You don't have a problem with that, do you?" Ron asks. **

**"Your mum said you couldn't be around girls!" Hermione snaps. **

**"I'm not going to do anything at Hogwarts." Ron promises. "I'm not starting trouble, Hermione. It's not your matter to worry about." **

**"It is something to worry about, and because you won't worry about it, I have too! Don't you think it's a bit odd that Padma practically asked you to be her boyfriend?" Hermione asks. **

**"She didn't ask that Hermione, you don't know what you're talking about." Ron says. "And what would be so odd about somebody asking me out anyway? Just because I'm not up to your boyfriend standards, doesn't mean I'm not up to anybody else's! Just because I'm not perfect like you, doesn't mean that nobody will like me!" Ron says defensively. **

**"Ron, you did something insanely stupid! Sabrina's a gossip queen, everyone in our year probably knows what you did, and because they know, they'll know that you won't reject them, as long as they give you what you want." Hermione says. **

**"Hermione!" Harry yells, surprised at her. "Hermione, Ron's good enough for anybody! His personality can get him anybody he wants. They won't be afraid of rejection, because Ron's nice enough to accept anybody, even if he doesn't want too, or he'll let them down gently, because that's how good of a friend he is! Nobody would dare trick Ron, and they certainly wouldn't use him! Ron can see through someone easily. It's not as if they're going out either, and Ron said he made a mistake. The whole world could know, but why blow it up and make such a big deal about it by reminding them?" **

**"Hermione, I said I would hang out with her, not take her out. Why do you even have to have a say in this? Do me a favor, and stay out of my business!" Ron yells. He takes off in a run. **

**"Hermione, you're wrong this time. I don't know why you said what you did, but you hurt him, and you went too far!" Harry says. **

**"I was just trying to warn him of the truth, Harry. Something FRIENDS do! Sometimes the truth hurts, Harry!" Hermione says. **

**"The truth is you ARE wrong!" Harry says. **

**"No, Harry, I'm right! You just remember that when Ron's heartbroken, when he ends up used, because you two are to blind and foolish to see what's right under your nose!" Hermione says. **

**Hermione takes off in the opposite direction of Ron. Harry was now torn between two friends. He ran after Ron. **

**When Harry caught up with Ron, Ron was buying his potion ingredients he would need for this year at the apothecary. **

**"Hey, Hermione was wrong." Harry says. **

**"She's probably right, she's ALWAYS right." Ron says with a sigh. **

**"No, Ron that's not true!" Harry protests. **

**"99.9% of the time she is. The only time she was ever wrong on something was in the Shrieking Shack, and that was something that nobody knew! I mean it seemed reasonable, but only Moony and Padfoot, could've known." Ron says. "So basically it is 100%." Ron says. **

**"What she said was wrong though. She's not right. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she's…" Harry gasps, realizing it. **

**"She's what… jealous… of what? Harry if you were even hinting at that, you're definitely wrong. She's with Krum, an International Quidditch Player, compared to me. Hermione's lowered my self-esteem for one day, so don't make me lower it even more by telling you all my faults, as in why she would never like me." Ron says. **

**"You've got to be joking. Moping over a stupid mudblood who would never like you… Nobody would ever like you Weasley, you're family gives wizards a bad name, muggle and mudblood lovers, you are… But if you were that desperate you should resort to someone lower than that MUDBLOOD Granger girl. You haven't the brains for the likes of her. You haven't got even Potter's poor talent, and of course you can't afford anything new. So I suppose if you're desperate to get a girl, go for your best friend." Malfoy says. **

**"Yes, and when you grow up and need to find one you can ask Moody to turn you back into a ferret, I hear they're pretty dumb creatures, maybe even dumb enough to fall for you." Ron says smartly. **

**At this Malfoy walked over to him angrily. "BOYS! Not in my store! Pay for your things and get out." The man says. **

**Harry and Ron followed the man's instructions. Malfoy wasn't far behind them. "Weasel, get back here!" Malfoy yelled and he chased after him. **

**Ron and Harry tore down the cobbled road of Diagon Alley. Ron knew he'd best not fight, and he knew that Malfoy was looking to start one. **

**Attracted by Malfoy's voice, Crabbe and Goyle jumped in front of the two boys stopping them. **

**"Aww, is the Potty and the Weasel scared?" Malfoy asks as he catches up. **

**"Scared, of what, a little old ferret? Of course not! We just didn't want to smell your horrid breath anymore. I mean have you been eating garlic or something? You can smell your breath far away; we were just trying to keep our distance! Can you back up so I don't gag from that putrid smell?" Ron asks waving a hand in front of his face as if something smelled. **

**Malfoy covered his mouth with his hand, and breathed into his hand, allowing him to smell his breath. **

**"My breath does not smell!" Malfoy yells. **

**"No, of course not your nose does!" Ron says trying to keep a straight face. **

**Malfoy wiped his nose with his hand trying to smell something, before realizing Ron's little game. **

**"Oh you think you're clever, weasel, but not clever enough to stop this!" Malfoy says as he throws a punch at Ron's face. Ron falls to the ground covering his mouth. **

**Ron kicks Malfoy in the back of the leg, causing Malfoy to fall. Wizards and Witches started to move away from the boys. Malfoy crawled over to Ron and punched him in the face. Ron punched him back causing him to fall back. Ron punched him again before getting up. **

**Ron was ready to make a run for it then, but a punch from Crabbe in the back, sent him sailing back down to the ground. **

**A wizard more or less their age saw the punch thrown by Crabbe and yelled "FIGHT!" causing young wizards to hurry forward to see what was happening. **

**At all the commotion, Harry tried to help Ron up, but a shove from Goyle sent him to the ground, and Malfoy had already tackled Ron back down to the ground punching him repetitively, while Ron punched and kicked him, trying to get him away. A wizard, whom nobody recognized as their parent, pulled Malfoy off of Ron, and pulled Harry and Ron on to their feet. Crabbe and Goyle had maintained standing, because once Harry was down all they had to do was kick him to hurt him and keep him down. **

**"Break it up! Break it up!" The wizard yells spreading them all apart. Crabbe and Goyle started to walk away, but the wizard grabbed them both by their shoulders and pushed them against the wall. "Oh no you don't! I'm a Hit Wizard from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, I'm very strong, and I've got a very good memory, so don't try running. You're all coming with me, so I can get some answers. Diagon Alley is not a place to fight!" He says. **

**"Let's go all five of you!" He says dangerously, pushing all five of them forward. "This show is over!" He added to the crowd. **

**"Ooh!" and "Somebody's in trouble!" Were whispered amongst the wizards and witches. **

**The five of them followed him into the Leaky Cauldron. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle sending dangerous glares toward Harry and Ron, who were too confused and afraid to notice anything other than where the Hit Wizard was taking them. **

**"Tom, can I get a table, please? I found some young lads who were starting trouble." The Hit Wizard says. **

**"Of course, Mr. Edwards, right this way." Tom, the Innkeeper says. He leads them to a table. "Anything I can get you?" Tom asks. **

**"Perhaps a pot of tea, and a few wet rags. I'm no magical doctor." Mr. Edwards suggests. **

**"Of course." Tom says. **

**"Sit!" Mr. Edwards orders. **

**All five boys sit down in the booth; Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle sat down reluctantly. **

**"What are your names? I'll be wanting to have a word with each of your parents about your reckless behavior." Mr. Edwards says pulling out a piece of parchment from his robes. He takes out a quill and a bottle of ink as well. "I'll start with you." Mr. Edwards says looking at Malfoy who was on the end, opposite him. **

**"Draco Malfoy…" Malfoy started. **

**"Lucious is your father?" Mr. Edwards asks. **

**"Yes." Malfoy answers. **

**Mr. Edwards writes something down. He looks up and over to Crabbe. **

**Ron was lost in his thoughts as Mr. Edwards asked about Crabbe and Goyle's parents. Tom came back with tea and a pot of hot water with towels on a tray for them, interrupting Ron's thoughts. **

**"Your name?" Mr. Edwards asks Ron. **

**"Ron Weasley." Ron answers. **

**"Ah, I've heard of you. Made a deal with your Grandfather, you might've heard about it." Mr. Edwards says. **

**"Yes, I know about it, sir." Ron says. **

**"Is he here, or are you with your parents?" Mr. Edwards asks. **

**"My parents." Ron answers. **

**"What are their names?" Mr. Edwards asks. **

**"Arthur and Molly Weasley." Ron answers. **

**"And you?" Mr. Edwards asks Harry. **

**Ron saw that Harry didn't want to say anything, after all his parents were deceased, so he spoke for him. "Sir, he came with me." Ron says. **

**Mr. Edwards didn't seem to care. "What's your name?" Mr. Edwards asks. **

**"Harry Potter." Harry says softly. **

**Mr. Edwards wrote this down not remembering who Harry was at the moment. "Your parents? I don't care that you came with whomever; I'll owl your parents." Mr. Edwards asks. **

**"Sir you can't." Harry starts. **

**"Of course I can." Mr. Edwards says. **

**"No, you can't!" Malfoy begins with a laugh. "See he's an orphan! His parents are dead, and even better, his Godfather's the one responsible for his parents' death." **

**"That's enough!" Mr. Edwards says dangerously to Malfoy. In a softer tone, he speaks to Harry, "I apologize for not putting that together. Whom are you staying with?" **

**"The Weasley's sir." Harry says. **

**"Are they your legal guardians?" Mr. Edwards asks, confused. **

**"Oh, no sir. My aunt and uncle are, but they're muggles." Harry explains. **

**"I'll talk to the Weasley's then, I hate dealing with muggles, no offense." Mr. Edwards says. **

**"None taken." Harry says. **

**"Stay here and clean yourselves up. I'll be finding your parents." Mr. Edwards says. **

**Mr. Edwards leaves the Leaky Cauldron. It didn't take long for him to find Mrs. Weasley. She had Ginny with her, and they had just run into the twins and Lee Jordan. **

**"Excuse me, Mrs. Weasley?" Mr. Edwards asks. **

**Mrs. Weasley turns. **

**"Yes?" Mrs. Weasley asks. **

**"Molly?" Mr. Edwards gasps. **

**"Robert Edwards?" Mrs. Weasley gasps. **

**"I didn't know you were married!" Mr. Edwards says. **

**"I haven't seen you in years, how are you?" Mrs. Weasley asks. **

**"Sir, if you didn't know my mum was married, then why did you call her Mrs. Weasley?" George asks. **

**"I was just coming to speak with your mother about her son, it wasn't until I recognized her that I realized who she was!" Mr. Edwards explains. **

**"All right, before I forget, what has Ron done now?" Molly asks. **

**"He's been in a fight with a few other boys. He claims another boy, Harry Potter, is staying with you as well. I know you'll take care of Ron, but at least lecture the young Potter lad, I don't want to talk with his muggle relatives, and since he's staying with you I figure you could handle him as well. How have you been though? I haven't seen you since Hogwarts!" Mr. Edwards says. **

**"That long?" George teases. **

**Mrs. Weasley smacks George in the back of the head. **

**"Seems like just yesterday, to be honest with you. You haven't changed a bit. Still the gorgeous Molly McTiernan I remember." Mr. Edwards says. **

**"You're very kind." Mrs. Weasley says blushing. **

**"How long do you plan on staying in Diagon Alley? I was hoping to buy you a drink in the Leaky Cauldron." Mr. Edwards says. **

**The twins and Ginny looked at their mother. **

**"For old times' sake." Mr. Edwards adds. **

**"Oh, all right, I suppose it wouldn't hurt, where did you say my son and his friend are?" Mrs. Weasley asks. **

**"At the Leaky Cauldron." Mr. Edwards says. "Can I meet you there in fifteen minutes time?" **

**"Sure." Mrs. Weasley says. **

**"Great, I'll see you then. Right now I need to speak to some other parents of the children who were in the fight." Mr. Edwards explains. **

**"And I need to speak with my children." Mrs. Weasley says. **

**Mrs. Weasley started walking toward the Leaky Cauldron, but the twins, followed by a confused Lee Jordan, and Ginny followed her. **

**"Who was he?" Fred asks. **

**"You do remember you're married, to our father!" George says. **

**"He's an old friend from Hogwarts, mind your business. I would never cheat on your father, if that is what you're implying George!" Mrs. Weasley says. **

**"But he said McTiernan, and you said fine, as if you forgot your own last name!" George says. **

**"He said he remembers me from yesterday, which was ages ago, and my maiden name back then, was McTiernan." Mrs. Weasley says. **

**The conversation was ended when they saw Ron and Harry, dried blood on Ron's face, while Harry had dirt on his robes from being kicked, while on the ground. **

**"Ron, Harry, outside, now!" Mrs. Weasley barks under her breath. **

**Ron and Harry didn't need telling twice. They left the Leaky Cauldron, while Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle snickered. **

**Once outside of the Leaky Cauldron, Mrs. Weasley started in a very soft whisper, in an undertone, the boys knew she was furious, but they knew she didn't want to make a scene. **

**"I told you NOT to get into trouble, and you PROMISED me, you wouldn't! Hermione even assured me she wouldn't allow you to cause a problem. Where is she?" She asks, though not with a dangerous tone, she sounded as if she just realized she wasn't with them and asked in a curious manner. **

**"We got into an argument." Ron admits. **

**"You started trouble with Hermione, and then with Malfoy! You wait until we get home. Harry, I know you were probably only trying to help Ron, but please do not follow or help him. He's digging himself deeper, and deeper, and he doesn't seem to hear me." Mrs. Weasley says. **

**"I heard you, and just to let you know, I'm right here, and I didn't start anything with anybody!" Ron says. **

**"I said I'd deal with you when we get home. In the meantime, go find Hermione, apologize for whatever it is you did, finish buying your school supplies, and meet me back here in a half an hour." Mrs. Weasley says. **

**"Yea, meet her after her date!" Fred says. **

**A dangerous glare came from Mrs. Weasley's eyes warning Fred to be quiet. **

**"What do you mean?" Ron asks. **

**"Nothing, I ran into a friend of mine from Hogwarts, he offered to buy me a drink? Your brothers exaggerate everything as usual." Mrs. Weasley explains curtly. **

**"Oh, does dad know?" Ron asks. **

**"He will when we return. Go find Hermione. You're in enough trouble as it is." Mrs. Weasley says. **

**Harry and Ron run off to find Hermione. "Ron, are you all right?" Harry asks. **

**"Please, Malfoy hits like a girl. I'm getting used to pain by now." Ron says. **

**"No, I know Malfoy didn't stand a chance against you. I was asking if you were okay with your mum, I don't know if…" Harry began, but Ron was already shaking my head. **

**"Of course I'm all right with it. It's not like my parents are apart, she's just going to have a drink. I know my mum loves my dad, and she would never betray him. They're just old friends catching up. Besides, this will get me out of deep trouble with my dad. When mum says I've been fighting, I'll mention her 'old friend' buying her a drink. That'll buy me a delay at least." Ron says. **

**Harry laughed. **

**"Now where is Hermione? I don't know of a library around Diagon Alley, so I'm assuming she must be at Flourish & Blotts. You know wherever a book is, Hermione can't be too far behind." Ron says. **

**Harry rolled his eyes, but stopped. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Hermione go into Gambol & Japes' Joke Shop. "That can't be right." He said aloud what he was thinking. **

**"I was only joking Harry." Ron says. **

**"No, no, Hermione just went into Gambol & Japes!" Harry says. **

**"Let's see what she's on about, now." Ron says. **

**They were about to run over to the store when Padma stopped Ron again. "Ron… may I have another word. It'll be quick." Padma assures Harry. **

**"Just a second." Ron says to Harry. **

**"I'll go catch up with Hermione." Harry says leaving. **

**Ron watched as Harry went into Gambol & Japes safely. He turned his attention to Padma. **

**"Look, I heard what Hermione said to you, and I would never use somebody. I'd think anybody else would use me, first. I mean it's not as if we're more than friends, but if we ever were that I just wanted to let you know I'd never take advantage of you. I talked to you then, because I haven't seen you all summer, and I finally got the chance to catch up. Even if I wanted you to be my boyfriend, it wouldn't have been because of Sabrina. I like you Ron, I might've been cold to you last year, but I wanted to dance, and you wouldn't ask me. I still like that we're friends now, and the reason I like you is because your personality is brilliant. I mean I love your sense of humor, and you can tell a good tale. Besides, you're attractive." Padma says. **

**"You think I'm attractive, for real?" Ron asks. **

**"Of course. I thought you might be taken already, and I wouldn't blame you if you wouldn't go for somebody like me." Padma says. **

**"Padma, you're the prettiest girl in our year! Well, one of the two prettiest, I mean Parvati has your looks, but you're the only girl's whoever given me this much attention without being Hermione." Ron says. **

**"So is she your girlfriend?" Padma asks. **

**"Hermione? No." Ron laughs. **

**"So who is then?" Padma asks. **

**"I was hoping you could be." Ron says. **

**Padma smiled, Ron grinned. **

**"I'll talk to you later." Padma says, and she kissed him deeply before running off blushing. **

**Ron prayed that none of his family or friends witnessed that. After all he was on restriction from dating after Sabrina. 'What did I get myself into now?' Ron thought in his head. **

**Ron entered Gambol & Japes to find Hermione and Harry talking to an old witch. **

**Ron browsed around; he didn't feel like getting sucked into talking to an old witch. She'd gab away for hours. He didn't get much luck though, once Harry spotted him, they gestured for him to come over. He hid his annoyed feelings and walked over to the three of them. **

**"Oh, Ron, how nice it is to see you again! You've been taking my Godson well, I heard." The witch says. **

**"I beg your pardon, mam. I don't believe I've met you before. Harry, since when did you have a Godmother?" Harry asks raising an eyebrow. **

**"I don't." Harry says with a wink. **

**"I'm lost. You know what, I don't want to know right now. My brain's got too much to deal with. You all can tell me later." Ron says starting to turn. **

**"Oh no, lad, but we have met before. In Hogsmeade, in your third year, I kind of broke your leg. You remember Harry's Godmother, don't you?" She asks with a wink. **

**"Si-" Hermione's hand clapped over his face stopping Ron from saying his name. **

**"Oh, good you do remember old Sierra!" The witch says giving Ron a glare. **

**"How?" Ron whispers. **

**He heard Hermione whisper, "Polyjuice Potion" in his ear. She kicked him in the ankle and he clenched his fists as the pain shot through his leg, before releasing them with a sigh. **

**"Would you three like to join me at the Leaky Cauldron for some tea?" The witch asks. **

**"Sure." Harry says. The other two follow. **

**They entered the Leaky Cauldron and Tom seated them to a booth. Quickly, Ron glanced around and found his mum doubling over with laughter as the Hit Wizard flirted with her. Ron swallowed hard. 'My mum would never hurt my dad. He, he can't be flirting with her, maybe just some old memories. I wonder if they dated back in their day. I hope not. Please just leave my mum alone. I don't need any more problems right now. If my mum leaves my dad for him, I'm staying with dad.' Ron thought to himself as he watched them. Mixed emotions raged through him. 'Why can't he just go away? Doesn't he have a family? Can't he go to work? If there was another commotion, he'd have to go to his job, and mum would be distracted and would remember she was supposed to meet us soon. Where can a good problem be?' He wondered. 'Wait! The problem's me!' He answered himself. **

**"Ron? Ron?" The old witch across from him in the booth calls. **

**"What?" Ron asks not wanting to tear his eyes away. **

**"Ron!" Hermione says. She kicks him hard in the shin. **

**"What?" Ron asks softly. Reluctantly, he let himself be distracted, and turned his attention to the people around him. **

**"What are you looking at?" Hermione asks. **

**"Nothing." Ron says. **

**Harry stood up so he could get a better look. He saw Mrs. Weasley laughing with the Hit Wizard up at the pub. **

**"Ron, you said it yourself, your mum loves your dad, they're just old friends catching up. It looks bad, but maybe they're just joking or something." Harry suggests. **

**Hermione sits up and turns around to see. "Who's your mum with?" She asks. **

**"The Hit Wizard, who was an old friend who went to school with her." Harry says. **

**"I'm just hoping a friend is all he was." Ron says. **

**"Well its all he is now, isn't it? Your mum's married and knows perfectly well who her husband is." Hermione says. **

**"They're enjoying themselves too much." Ron says. **

**"You're so overprotective." Hermione says. **

**"I think I'll go find Malfoy and cause a problem. That will make him have to go back to work again, and my mum will want to get home straight away." Ron says. **

**"No you won't! I promised your mum, you wouldn't cause any chaos here!" Hermione says. **

**"Too late." Harry says. **

**"What is that supposed to mean?" Hermione asks. **

**"Malfoy started crap. Wonder boy over there ended it though." Ron says. **

**"You got into trouble?" Hermione asks with anxiety in her voice. **

**"Yes, Harry, did you get into trouble?" The witch asks. **

**"He was only trying to stop it, honestly. I didn't want a part of it, but they started it, and they pushed Harry down!" Ron explains. **

**"Don't let your temper get to you, it can only cause you problems." The witch says wisely. **

**"Right. So, Sierra, you said your name was?" Ron asks. **

**"Yes." The witch says. **

**"Are you out of your mind?" Ron whispers. **

**"Of course it's what a few years of being a certain somewhere will do to you." The witch says. Sirius of course was talking about Azkaban, the Wizarding Prison. **

**"No, I meant don't you think this is a bit dangerous?" Ron whispers. **

**"I was thinking that." Harry says. **

**"Worry warts, you two are." The witch says with a grin that resembled Sirius'. "Ron, have you been made a prefect?" Sirius as the witch asks. **

**"No," Ron says. He looks behind him again and sees his mum writing something down. She was glowing with happiness. It wasn't her husband who was making her happy like this. 'She's going to keep in touch with him! This isn't right, this isn't fair!' Ron thought. **

**At that moment a window shattered in the Leaky Cauldron. Ron covered his mouth with his hand before he ran it through his hair. Harry and Hermione stared at him with anxiety and disbelief. Sirius however was looking at him with surprise and much concern. **

**Everyone went silent looking around. An old wizard who was playing cards stood up angrily. "Just my luck, you're a cheat, you are! Damn you to hell! Oh, sorry about your window there, Tom. REPAIRO!" The window repaired itself. **

**The hit wizard said goodbye to Molly and walked over to the angry man and started to talk to him. Ron breathed a sigh. **

**Molly started to leave when she spotted Ron's red hair. She walked over to him, and started, seeing an old witch with them. **

**"Mrs. Weasley, have you met Sierra?" Hermione asks. **

**"No, I'm afraid I haven't. Molly Weasley, please to meet you." Mrs. Weasley says shaking the witch's hand. **

**"A pleasure to meet you as well. Thanks for taking such good care of my Godson." She nodded toward Harry. "I'll be going now. Nice to see you all again. Take care, Harry." The witch nods. She stands up and leaves the Leaky Cauldron. **

**"Harry I never knew you had a Godmother… why do you have to stay with the Dursley's if you have her?" Mrs. Weasley asks. **

**"It's a long story." Harry says. "I'll explain at the burrow. Do you want us to help you find the twins and Ginny?" Harry offers. **

**"I'd appreciate that, I need to have a word with Ron, anyway." Mrs. Weasley says. **

**"All right, then. Come on Hermione." Harry says. **

**Hermione started to get up, but paused. She turned to Mrs. Weasley. "Mrs. Weasley, when Ron and Harry got in trouble, I wasn't with them, and I'm sorry I lied to you about keeping him under control." Hermione says. **

**"Nobody can keep him under control, and I know you tried, thank you Hermione." Mrs. Weasley says. **

**Harry and Hermione left the Leaky Cauldron looking for the twins and Ginny. **

**Ron sunk back in the booth. **

**"I know you were the one responsible for the window breaking. You were in here at that time, and when you lose your temper, things break, like the window. Your lucky that that man thought he did it, or you might have just gotten yourself expelled." Mrs. Weasley says. **

**"I didn't do it!" Ron says. Though he probably did do it, his mum had no proof, and Ron didn't want to be punished for something else. **

**"We'll discuss this at home." Mrs. Weasley says seeing the twins, Ginny, Harry, and Hermione enter the Leaky Cauldron. **


	8. The Hogwarts Express

**Chapter Seven**

**The Hogwarts Express**

** They arrived back at the burrow around 3 PM. "Ron go upstairs and wait for your father to get home." Mrs. Weasley says.**

**"I didn't do it!" Ron protests. **

**"Didn't do what?" Fred asks. **

**"I know you did, there's no point in lying about it! Anyway, you're grounded for that fight earlier." Mrs. Weasley says. **

**"What fight?" George asks eagerly. **

**"The one Malfoy started!" Ron says leaving the kitchen. **

**"Oh, so that was what all that big commotion was about? I never thought of causing commotion in Diagon Alley, it would've been brilliant though." George says. **

**"Too bad this is our last year." Fred says. **

**"To go to Diagon Alley, don't be ridiculous! We'll still need to go there for robes and such even after Hogwarts. Oh, do I have a brilliant idea for next time." George says, his eyes widening with mischief. **

**"Get that thought out of your head right now George!" Mrs. Weasley says. **

**"Don't worry, mum you won't be able to yell yourself hoarse when we're on our own." George says. **

**"Don't worry Mrs. Weasley, I don't think they'd remember in a year anyway. They'd probably cause havoc by their nature as it is, anyway." Hermione says. **

**"Thanks for the tip Hermione, I'll write this down, and look at it in a year's time." George says. **

**"Your driving me mad, get out of here the both of you!" Mrs. Weasley says shoving her twin sons out of the kitchen. **

**She turns to Harry and Hermione who still remained in the kitchen. Ginny had already left, claiming she wanted to skim through her new books, to find out what they'd be reading about this year. **

**"You said you'd explain about your Godmother. Why can't she take you in rather than those horrible-" Mrs. Weasley stopped herself, she never would say anything horrible about the Dursley's in front of Harry. **

**"Well, she's not actually my Godmother, but she is a Godparent, under a Polyjuice Potion." Harry says quietly. **

**"I didn't think you had a Godmother, but…" Mrs. Weasley stopped and gasped in the middle of her sentence, when she realized whom he was talking about. **

**"He's innocent, really he is! Peter Pettigrew is still alive Mrs. Weasley he never killed him! I can't explain everything, but I know he's not guilty, and Dumbledore knows too!" Harry says. **

**"Well, Dumbledore did seem to trust him." Mrs. Weasley says. "Why don't you two go have some fun, walk around outside or something, it's a beautiful day." Mrs. Weasley says. **

**"All right." Harry and Hermione agree. **

**Later that evening, Mr. Weasley and Percy arrived home just as Ron was coming downstairs for dinner. Mr. Weasley saw Ron then looked to Mrs. Weasley, whom he kissed. "No problems at Diagon Alley, I hope?" Mr. Weasley asks. **

**"Your son got in a fight with Lucious Malfoy's son, and he broke a window with his temper at the Leaky Cauldron, though somebody else confessed to it, I know it was him." Mrs. Weasley says. **

**"I don't know how you could know if it was me or not, I mean you were laughing a lot and having a deep conversation with that 'old friend of yours' it seemed as if you were in a whole other world." Ron says miserably. **

**"Ron, don't change the subject!" Mrs. Weasley says. **

**"Which old friend of yours, did you run into?" Mr. Weasley asks his wife. **

**"Robert." Mrs. Weasley says. **

**"Robert Edwards?" Mr. Weasley asks. **

**"Yes." Mrs. Weasley says. "Have some dinner, then we'll decide on how to punish Ron." **

**"I'm no longer hungry. Excuse me, I just remembered something I forgot at the Ministry." Mr. Weasley says. There was hurt in his voice. He disapparated. **

**"See what you did?" Mrs. Weasley asks. **

**"See what _I_ did? _I_ didn't do anything! You were the one talking to him, when you're married!" Ron yells. **

**"I love your father very much, I was just catching up with an old friend of mine, nothing happened between us, and you saw that we just talked!" Mrs. Weasley says. **

**"Yea well I guess dad apparating had nothing to do with your old friend most likely being more than a friend to you at Hogwarts?" Ron asks. **

**"You've caused enough problems for one day, go up to your room for the night." Mrs. Weasley says. **

**"Forget it, owl Grandfather, I'd rather go back to his house next summer, rather than come home to people blaming their OWN MISTAKES on me." Ron says. Ron runs out of the kitchen and not surprisingly out of the house. **

**Mrs. Weasley left the kitchen as well, but instead of running after Ron, she ran up the stairs. **

**"Are you all right?" Percy asks everybody at the table. All of them nodded, but they looked concerned and confused. **

**"Look, eat your dinners, Fred and George no pranks tonight, keep it quiet. I'm going over to the Ministry to check on dad. Harry, Hermione, don't bother going after Ron. He'll be at Toby's, most likely. Just everybody stay here, and try to keep the noise down. I'll be back later." Percy says and with a pop he disapparated. **

**"Ron can't live with his Grandfather!" Harry whispers to Hermione. **

**"Don't worry Harry, we'll still be here next year, and mum wouldn't allow you to stay the whole summer there, even if nobody was here." George says. **

**"No, I wasn't even thinking about that!" Harry says, but now he was thinking about that. It was good to know the twins gave him reassurance of a place to stay though. "Your Grandfather would kill him in the first week." Harry says. **

**"No, he wouldn't risk actually going to Azkaban." Fred assures him. **

**Meanwhile, at Toby's house, Ron climbed in through his bedroom window. "Haven't seen you in a while. I was hoping you'd drop by, but with your company, I didn't think you would." Toby says shutting the door. **

**"I wasn't allowed. Man, I'm in so much trouble." Ron says plopping down on the floor. **

**"I heard you ran away again, where'd you go?" Toby asks. **

**"I just went for a walk, and I kept walking, not realizing what time it was, but there was a curfew, so some muggle please-men arrested me." Ron says. **

**"Oh, I do reckon you're in deep." Toby says. **

**"No, I've already been punished for that." Ron explains. **

**"So what did you do now?" Toby asks. **

**"We went to Diagon Alley today. Malfoy started a fight, and a Hit Wizard stopped it. Well the Hit Wizard was apparently an 'old friend' of my mum's. He bought her a drink. When Harry, Hermione, and me went in there she was laughing and being too happy. I could sense they were more than friends when they went to Hogwarts. Anyway, I lost my temper with him flirting with my mum, and then a window at the Leaky Cauldron broke. Somebody else confessed to it, but it was really me, and my mum knows it was me too. And there's more. When my mum told my dad what I did, I told him about her and her old friend, and he went back to work, he was really hurt. Then my mum blamed me, and I told her I'd rather live with my Grandfather than stay there with her always blaming everybody else's mistakes on me. It was her fault, not mine!" Ron cries angrily into his knees. **

**"Ron, your right it was her fault for catching up with an old boyfriend, if that's what he was, I assume he was, because your dad left, like you said. But maybe you shouldn't have said anything, it would've just been left at the Leaky Cauldron." Toby says softly. **

**"No, you don't understand, she was writing his address down! They were going to stay in contact, without my dad knowing. My mum could have him over or something when my dad's at work, when we're at Hogwarts." Ron says. **

**There was a knock on the door, and Mrs. Lovegood let herself in. **

**"Ron, sweetie, your brothers sent an owl to me. They were asking if you were here or not, they're not making you come home just now, but they're making sure your somewhere safe, and not still running like last time. Sweetie, why do you keep running away?" Mrs. Lovegood asks. **

**"Nobody understands me anymore. I do one thing wrong, and my life has been turned upside down. Now anything that goes wrong, I get blamed for." Ron cries. **

**Mrs. Lovegood kneeled down beside him and wrapped a comforting arm around him. **

**"Even if I try to stay out of trouble, someone causes trouble for me." Ron says looking up at Mrs. Lovegood with a tearstained face. **

**"Explain to me, I don't quite understand." Mrs. Lovegood says. **

**"I was talking to my friend in Diagon Alley today, and Malfoy overheard me and started making fun of me for it, and I said something back, and he started toward me, but we got kicked out of the shop, and I thought it was over, but he chased us, and if I wanted to fight, I wouldn't have run, but I didn't want to cause my parents anymore trouble. But Crabbe and Goyle stopped us, and Malfoy caught up, and they started fighting us, and I wasn't just going to let them beat me up and humiliate, I had to defend myself, but my mum didn't even want my side of the story." Ron explains. **

**"So that's why you ran away?" Mrs. Lovegood asks. **

**"No! I ran away, because my dad left and my mum blames it on me, when it's _her _fault." Ron cries. **

**"Your dad left?" Mrs. Lovegood asks with disbelief. **

**"He went back to the Ministry after I told him about mum catching up with an old friend. He was heartbroken; I think it was more than a friend whom my mum was catching up with. She was having too good of a time for them to have been just friends. She was even writing something down. Probably getting his address so he can stop by when we're away at school, and while my dad's at work. It's not fair, my dad doesn't deserve this." Ron cries. **

**"If your dad went back to the Ministry, heartbroken, he probably had been more than a friend, but I said had been as in was. Past tense, not present, your mum is married, and she loves your dad. Your getting all worried about what you don't know. You won't know unless you go home and talk to them." Mrs. Lovegood says. **

**"I'm not going home, I'll leave if you want, but I won't go home, not yet anyway." Ron says. **

**"Stay here then. I'll let your brothers know that you're here. I'll send up some tea." Mrs. Lovegood says. **

**"You don't have to." Ron says wiping his tears. **

**"I'm going to anyway." Mrs. Lovegood says. She leaves the room. **

**Ron runs a hand through his hair and sighs. **

**"Everything will be all right eventually, until then, stay here." Toby says. "I'll play you in Wizard's Chess." Toby says pulling out his board. **

**Ron grinned knowing all these new strategies that Toby couldn't begin to imagine. **

**After three games of losing, Toby had given up. "Man, I don't know how you beat me. Before you left, I was as good as you. Now, I can't win!" Toby says. **

**"When my Grandfather thought I had done a good job on my chores he would play a few games of chess with me. It was very challenging, but I still beat him, and I learned new strategies. You noticed that my knight protected my queen the entire game." Ron says. **

**"Unfortunately. Every time I would think of taking your queen out, I'd see the consequence, and I wasn't about to sacrifice my bishops. They're my strongest pieces." Toby says. **

**"Sometimes you should sacrifice them. You could've taken out my queen, and I would've taken out your bishop, but still the queen's the best piece in the game. It can move anyway, except for the knight's L movement. You could've taken my knight, but I always line up my queen to be in the knight's path so that it's diagonal to it. That way if you took my Knight, I'd still have my queen, and it would take your piece." Ron says, showing him. **

**There was a knock on the door. Percy entered. "Hey Toby, how are you doing?" Percy asks. **

**"Fine, how are you?" Toby asks. **

**"I'm well. Ron, when you're finished your game, why don't you come home?" Percy asks. **

**"We just finished, and I'm not going home." Ron says. **

**"Dad's home, and he asked me to come and get you. Look, everything will be all right, but you need to come home." Percy says. **

**"I don't need to do anything." Ron says. **

**"Look, mum's not even downstairs. You don't have to worry about her. You can't keep running away Ron. You're only getting yourself into more trouble. Please just come with me now. Mum says if you don't come home with me, she'll owl Grandfather to come and get you, and he said if he hears one more report about your behavior, you'll be living with him on the holidays, until you're out of Hogwarts." Percy says. **

**"Well, Grandfather can come and get me, because I'm not going home!" Ron says. **

**"Don't make me stun you Ron." Percy says. **

**"I'm not going home." Ron says. **

**"Ron, your decision now, may affect all of your decisions to come. If you don't come home with me, you'll be living at Grandfather's for the next two years. You'll be doing intensive muggle labor, everyday for the next two summers. You won't be able to contact your friends, and you won't be able to make new friends in Ireland. All of your privileges will be gone, Ron. Grandfather will personally owl Dumbledore to have him keep you under his eye. You don't want that. Not only that Grandfather will ban you from Hogsmeade trips. He won't let you go to Diagon Alley either. Now, you have to make a decision. Come home with me, to find a list of chores, and groundment for the remainder of your stay, which isn't really a punishment, as Harry and Hermione are here, or you could go home with Grandfather, take a whipping, and find yourself fixing his fence. Now, tell me you're going to go home with Grandfather." Percy says. **

**"Go home with Percy! Your mum's upset, but you cooled down, and she had plenty of time to as well. Just go home with Percy, please? I want to hang out with you next holiday. Come on Ron, be smart." Toby says. **

**Ron stands up and starts walking. **

**"Thanks Toby, I owe you." Percy says and follows his brother home. **

**They arrived at the burrow. Ron walked into the kitchen to find his dad at the table looking exhausted. **

**"Ron, sit down." Mr. Weasley says. **

**Ron sat. **

**"I will let the breaking of the window go, only because we have no proof it wasn't the man who admitted to it, and we have no proof it was you. Even if you were responsible, I'd let you off for being so concerned for me. However, you do have a temper, and a bad one at that. I think you had a serious misjudgment of what went on between your mother and her friend." Mr. Weasley says. **

**"And you leaving like she had told you someone had died proved my judgment wrong, I see." Ron says smartly back. **

**"I'm not finished talking!" Mr. Weasley says. **

**"I think it's a bit unfair, how nobody ever lets me explain." Ron says. **

**"You don't have to explain. You saw your mum laughing and talking to another man, who wasn't me. You lost your temper, whether it broke a window or not, we don't know." Mr. Weasley says. **

**"Yes, dad you know everything." Ron says rolling his eyes. He looked out the window. **

**"I'm not going to punish you for that, so it doesn't matter. As for the fight…" Mr. Weasley began, but Ron rolled his eyes again and shook his head. He wasn't going to listen. He knew his father wouldn't listen to any explanation he had to say anyway. "As for the fight, well this is another report of bad behavior. Luckily, your mum made a deal with Mr. Edwards, so that he didn't report it to your Grandfather." **

**"Whatever. Look, why don't you just give me my list of chores that you want done, and I'll do them?" Ron says. **

**"Ron, lose your attitude." Mr. Weasley says. **

**"I just asked a question." Ron says. **

**"You asked it as if I were wasting your time!" Mr. Weasley says. **

**"Because you are. I'm not going to listen to you! You won't listen to me, I've got no reason to listen to you." Ron says. **

**"Yes you do, I'm your father!" Mr. Weasley yells. **

**"Really? Because I thought I was the son of that Hit Wizard that was flirting with mum." Ron says smartly. **

**Mr. Weasley hit his son in the face. "Don't give me those smart remarks! Lose your tone and attitude right now!" Mr. Weasley says. **

**"Dad, calm down." Percy says. **

**"No, your brother's out of control, aren't you listening to him?" Mr. Weasley asks. **

**"He might be, but you're not! You won't let me explain anything!" Ron says and ducked under the table, crawling out the other side, fearing another hit. **

**"Ron! I'm not going to listen to a child. I'm the adult! You're the child! You listen to what I have to say!" Mr. Weasley yells. **

**"I'm fifteen dad! I'm not a child! If you want me to respect you, you have to listen to me and respect me, or I won't listen to you!" Ron yells. **

**"Stop acting like a child then, and I might respect you and take you seriously. You're out of control! You have to earn my respect, and you're just losing it by acting the way you are!" Mr. Weasley yells back. **

**"Maybe I wouldn't be the way I am, if you had just given me a chance to explain. I made one mistake, and you all wouldn't let me explain, you just kicked me out!" Ron says. **

**"You lied at the beginning of the summer! We gave you the chance to explain, but you lied! How am I supposed to respect a liar? Only children lie!" Mr. Weasley yells. **

**"Yes, but I straightened up at Grandfather's. You think six weeks of what I went through would teach one not to lie, and would earn respect, because I wasn't immature enough to hate you for sending me there! You still don't trust me, and you wouldn't let me explain! I didn't start that fight! Yes, I've been in trouble before, but the first time, was the stupidest thing I've ever done, and I've been punished for that… the second time was just for being out past curfew, and may I remind you that Grandfather also punished me for that. You should let it go. The fight was completely different. I didn't want to go back to Grandfather's, so I tried to avoid it, but Malfoy and his friends didn't give me any other choice. They blocked Harry and me off, and Malfoy hit me! I had no other choice than to defend myself. It wasn't me beating the crap out of Malfoy; it was I trying to get away from Malfoy. I could've beaten the shit out of him, but I didn't I suffered the indignity of trying to get away, because I knew mum and you had enough to be mad at me about! I should've beaten the shit out of him, then maybe I'd deserve to be punished, but it wouldn't have made a difference either way! Now you're about to punish me without even knowing the facts, that's real fair. And don't give me that I'm the adult you're the child bullshit again, because I'm tired of it. I'm not a child. Open your eyes and see that!" Ron yells. **

**"Ron, go to your room." Mrs. Weasley says very softly. **

**Ron started, as he heard his mum, he turned around and saw that not only had she entered the kitchen, but Harry, Hermione, the twins, and Ginny were in the entry way. They let Ron pass, but Harry followed him. Hermione stayed downstairs. **

**Harry followed Ron in his room. "What's gotten into you lately?" Harry asks. **

**"What are you talking about?" Ron asks as he started emptying the clothes in his dresser into his trunk. **

**"You're changing Ron." Harry says. "I mean last summer you and your parents got along great, now you're yelling at them, and they're hitting you." **

**"I haven't changed. They have! Nobody understands me anymore. Last year everything was fine, because I didn't make any mistakes. I make just one mistake and they disown me, and then another one and all of a sudden I'm out of control. I've got enough problems, without them making more for me!" Ron says taking down his robes from his closet. **

**"What are you doing? Your not running away again, are you?" Hermione asks entering the room. **

**"It's called packing for Hogwarts. I can't wait to go back there. Snape seems fairer than _them_." Ron says gesturing his head toward the door, indicating his parents, who were floors below. **

**"Oh, don't be so ridiculous!" Hermione says. **

**"Your right, nobody's more unfair than Snape. After him, it's them." Ron says. **

**"Your parents are more than fair!" Hermione says. **

**"Easy for you to say, they aren't yours!" Ron says. **

**"Your brothers would say they're more than fair, and Ginny too. Even the twins are thankful to have your parents, and not your Grandfather, and they get into more trouble than you." Hermione says. **

**"Oh my God, Hermione, won't you ever see that not all adults are right all the time? They'd love to have a daughter like you, because you're the smartest student in our year. You're just like Bill and Percy. They both were brilliant. The twins are the twins, they love them because they're brilliant as well, and they just get into too much mischief to be prefects, not to mention they have Quidditch talent. As long as you got brains or talents, you can fit in this family fine. Charlie and the twins were on the Quidditch team, Bill, Percy, and Ginny have the brains. Not to mention that Ginny's their only daughter, so they'd love her after the twins no matter what. If you mess up and you don't have talent or brains, you might as well not be in this family. Oh, and anybody could be grateful to have my parents when you compare to my Grandfather. It's all easy for you to say they're fair, but you don't understand! Nobody does!" Ron says. **

**"Stop being stupid! Look at it this way, you're parents are worried about you! They obviously love you. They're trying to prevent you from going back to your Grandfather's. He'd kill you. Besides, you're going through some stupid phase, but one more report of bad behavior could cause the rest of your summers there, and all because of some stupid decision." Hermione says. **

**"You can only see right or wrong, Hermione. That's your problem. You should realize that I'm right." Ron says. **

**"Sleeping with Sabrina, running away, and fighting with Malfoy is right?" Hermione asks. **

**"No! You don't understand! You're not going to either, so why don't you get out? If you need to talk to Harry, he can go downstairs." Ron says. **

**"Ron, would you-" Ron cut off Hermione. **

**"No. I don't want to see it through the eyes of one who's perfect. I don't want to listen and I don't want to talk. Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out!" Ron says. **

**Hermione looked hurt. Her eyes had tears in them. "Your lucky I'm not allowed to use magic. If I was allowed to, I'd hurt you!" Hermione says. Looking around real quick, she found a book and threw it at him before leaving. **

**Ron looked shocked. **

**Harry, also surprised, was unsure of what to do. Luckily, an answer arrived. Mrs. Weasley entered the room. "Harry, dear, will you excuse us?" Mrs. Weasley asks. **

**"Of course." Harry says. He leaves the room in search of Hermione. **

**"We're moving Harry down into Percy's room. For the last days here, you'll do nothing but chores. You have a restraining charm on you, so you may not leave the back yard or front door. Tobias knows not to come by. Until we leave for King's Cross you are to do nothing but eat, sleep, and work. We'll give you your list of chores tomorrow morning. Until then, I suggest you rest. It'll be a long day tomorrow." Mrs. Weasley says. **

**She transfigures Harry's bed into a small rock, before she picks it up and leaves the room. **

**After the last days of hard work at the burrow, Ron found himself waking up to leave for Hogwarts. He smiled. To be leaving his parents, he'd have his freedom back, without worrying about his Grandfather. He didn't speak to his parents during the muggle taxi ride to King's Cross, nor did he speak to them before boarding the Hogwarts Express at Platform 9¾. He found an empty compartment without waiting for Harry or Hermione to say goodbye to his parents. He took out his journal and started writing the events of the last few days. **

About ten minutes after the Hogwarts Express left Platform 9¾ Harry and Hermione knocked on the compartment door, and entered. The anxiety on their faces changed to great relief after finding him. Harry had noticed he was writing in the same book he had been writing in the night of his return.

**"Why couldn't you have waited for us?" Harry asks. **

**"Why couldn't you have said goodbye to your parents? They were really upset when they realized you had already boarded the train." Hermione says. **

**"_When_ they realized." Ron laughs shaking his head. **

**Harry and Hermione exchanged glances. Before they could say anything to him, there was a knock on the door. **

**Remus Lupin entered the compartment followed by a black shaggy dog, that jumped on Harry's lap. **

**"Professor Lupin! Have you come back to teach?" Hermione asks eagerly. **

**"No, I'm afraid my teaching days were over at Hogwarts when Snape revealed to everybody what I was. Professor Dumbledore needed to see that mutt, and me and suggested that it would be in Harry's best interest to go on the Hogwarts Express. I would've left the mutt with you of course, but he's been known to cause trouble. So I couldn't leave him here unsupervised." Remus says earning a growl from the dog. "Hey, I thought I said no growling!" Remus said. He smacked Sirius on the nose. **

**Somebody else knocked on the door now. Padma Patil came in wearing her Ravenclaw robes. She smiled as she saw Ron. Ron grinned back. **

**"Hey Ron, can I speak to you for a few minutes?" Padma asks. **

**"Sure." Ron says getting up. **

**He saw Hermione stand up in the corner of his eye. **

**"Just a second," Ron says. Padma waited outside the compartment. **

**Ron turns to Hermione who looks at him incredulously. **

**"Your mum doesn't want you around girls." Hermione says. **

**"I know so I'm leaving to get away from you." Ron says sarcastically. **

**"Your mum said you're not allowed!" Hermione says. **

**"I don't care! She's not on this train, is she?" Ron asks. **

**"Ron, you can't-" Ron cut Hermione off. **

**"I can, and I am. I don't know what your problem is. I already told you to stay out of my business, and you're the one saying I have the hearing problem?" Ron asks. **

**"Your mum will find out about this! You'll be shipped off to your Grandfather's every summer." Hermione says. **

**"She won't find out about this, unless you say something, and I wouldn't tell her if I were you, because you'll regret it. Besides, I'm getting shipped off anyway, and it's only two summers. So I figure I might as well make it worth all the work I'll end up doing." Ron says. **

**"Ron!" Hermione snaps. **

**"Hermione, go back to reading and mind your own business." Ron says coldly. He leaves shutting the compartment door behind him. **

**Padfoot (Sirius) looks up at Harry and looks at the door, then looks at Harry again. **

**"What? You want me to follow him?" Harry asks uncertainly. **

**Padfoot shook his head. **

**"I think what Padfoot wants to know the deal with Ron." Remus says causing Padfoot to wag his tail and nod. **

**"Ah, he's been getting into trouble… not dark magic trouble, but trouble in general." Harry says. **

**"How so?" Remus asks. **

**"He's been fooling around with girls, he's been running away, and he's been fighting." Hermione answers, rolling her eyes toward the door. **

**Remus looked at Sirius who looked back with the same curious look. **

**"It's not what you think. Ron's only fooled around with one girl, and he ran away because I upset him, and he was just defending himself when Malfoy started with him." Harry says. **

**"He's out of control. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley didn't know what to do, so they sent him to his Grandfather's, who is very mean and strict. Maybe he deserved it though. I can't believe he won't listen." Hermione says. **

**"You don't honestly think he'll do something with Padma? This is Hogwarts." Harry says. **

**"I don't know Harry, the way he's been acting. I didn't think he'd be foolish enough to risk any of the actions he made this summer, but I was wrong about that. Did you hear how cold he was toward me? I really should owl his mum." Hermione says. **

**"Hermione, you shouldn't have said anything. He's not dumb enough to do anything on the Hogwarts Express, and it really isn't your business. You're supposed to be his friend, but you're acting like his mother." Harry says. **

**"He was dumb enough to do something in the first place, and it really is my business, because she is just using him, and you won't see that. I am his friend, but he's going in a wrong direction, and I'm trying to help him. You saw how out of control he was. He's never talked back to his parents before, and he was screaming at them, not bothering to keep his tone down or to watch his language." Hermione says. **

**"He was upset." Harry says. **

**"He's out of control. He won't see things any other way than his own!" Hermione says. **

**"He was mad Hermione. We can easily say he was being stupid, but if you looked at it from his point of view, he had that building up. I mean I'm an only child, as are you. I've had to deal with a lot of crap from the muggles, but you have a normal upbringing. He said 'When they realize.' He's the last to be realized and the one to get the least amount of attention. He's got a lot to live up to. He's got five older brothers and only one sister. Automatically, Ginny gets attention because she's their only daughter, and she's like you with books. The twins get attention with their pranks, jokes, and when they get into trouble. Percy gets attention from being so intelligent. Bill and Charlie probably never had to worry about getting attention from their parents, I mean they were the first to go to Hogwarts, one got brains, and one got talent. Ron's not on the Quidditch team, and he could be a bit less lazy with his studying. **

**The point is his parents were talking to him like they've paid attention to him all his life, but they never had to, and probably didn't have the time. They were treating him like a child, too. Ron made one mistake, and he was afraid, because he's never been in real trouble with his parents before, so he lied, and his parents didn't know what to do with him. So they sent him off. The way his Grandfather is probably made him hate his parents. **

**Then I got mad over something stupid, and said something, and he left. He said he knew he shouldn't have left, and would be accused of running away if he left the house, so he just figured he'd earn what was coming, because his parents don't let him explain. Malfoy started that fight, Ron told the truth, and I was there. Malfoy started with him, so Ron and I walked away, but he chased us. Ron would never sacrifice his pride by running from Malfoy, but he did it because he was tired of upsetting his mum. Still, Malfoy punched him, and Crabbe and Goyle were helping him out. How was he not supposed to defend himself? **

**I mean, he's been strained through out the summer, his brothers and sister have always come before him, and he feels like his parents disowned him. Then his mum blamed him for making his dad leave. He didn't know all the facts, but he told them, just like they didn't know all the facts, but still punished him. I could imagine being that fed up. He's just lucky his mum didn't kill him." Harry says. **

**"It doesn't matter, he was still wrong! And him leaving with Padma is only helping him get into more trouble. Professor, tell Harry who's right." Hermione says to Remus. **

**"Hermione, I'm not your professor anymore. Remus will do just fine. And I agree with Harry that he had a lot of reasons to flip out. However, you're right as well, he may have had a lot of reasons to lose control, but he should've kept it. His actions were wrong, but you can only learn from your mistakes, but I believe that you're right when saying Ron should not be near Ms. Patil. However, he's a boy, and a teenager, which is probably why he's out of control." Remus says. **

**"Oh, so it's a guy thing?" Hermione asks. **

**"No I meant, he's probably out of control, because he's a teenager. Sirius was worse than him. What it all comes down to is Ron and his parents not seeing eye-to-eye. They still think of him as a child, and they're used to him staying out of trouble. He thinks of himself as an adult, and he's not used to consequences." Remus explains. **

**Sirius looked like he was laughing or grinning, although dogs couldn't laugh. **

**"Shut up, or I'll beat you with the _Daily Prophet_." Remus says. "People have advantages over mutts." **

**Sirius growls, and Remus smacks him on the nose. "Don't, I mean it. The lunch trolley will be by soon, I'll grab a copy from the cart." Remus says. **

**Sirius whimpers apologetically. **

**The train ride was generally calm, with Hermione and Harry talking about their summers to Remus and Sirius, and trying to figure out, what secret mission Dumbledore needed them for, but they wouldn't tell. When it grew dark, they knew they were less than an hour away, and that's when they heard commotion from outside the compartment. **

**"SEAMUS, DEAN! Come quick! Come quick! There's a fight!" Someone yelled. They saw more than two people run past their compartment. **

**Harry and Hermione stood up. "It's probably Ron!" Hermione says irritatingly. **

**"I got to go help him." Harry says. **

**Sirius growled and tugged on Harry's robes. **

**"You're not getting involved in the fight. I'll break it up." Remus says. **

**Remus followed other students to a compartment. Malfoy was getting up off the ground. Ron was pinned against the window of the compartment, while Crabbe and Goyle punched him. Ron kneed Crabbe in between the legs and punched Goyle in the nose. Malfoy was up now, and he punched Ron into the window, causing it to break, and cut Ron's arm. Ron elbowed Malfoy in the jaw. Malfoy responded by punching him hard across the face, making him fall to the ground. Goyle kicked him in the ribs, hard, while he was down. Crabbe wasn't moving as he was hurt from where Ron kneed him. **

**Goyle and Malfoy however had no hesitation kicking him as hard as they could in the ribs. Ron's trying to get back up didn't work, so as a last resort, he swung his leg around and kicked them in the back of the shins, where they started, and fell on their backs. Ron crawled over to Malfoy and punched him hard in the face. Malfoy punched Ron in the nose, and Ron fell backwards, not even realizing it started to bleed. Malfoy took the advantage and punched him hard across the face, while Goyle stood up and kicked Ron in the ribs again. Ron kicked Malfoy away from him and avoided Goyle's kick as he rolled away. He got up and punched Goyle to the ground. He started backing up, but tripped over Malfoy's foot causing him to fall hard on his back, hitting his head against the doorframe. **

**Luckily, at that point Remus had been able to push through to get over to them. "Enough!" Remus yelled at Malfoy and Goyle who were about to clobber Ron. He helped Ron up. He was clutching his head. **

**"Aww, is the _werewolf_ protecting you Weasley?" Malfoy asks. **

**"No, _Professor Lupin_ is protecting you." Ron says, and punched Malfoy in the face before kicking Goyle down to the ground. **

**Remus pushed Ron out of the compartment and down the corridors until they got to the compartment of the train where Harry was pacing and Hermione was reading. **

**They saw him come in. His nose was bleeding, there were a couple of bruises forming on the side of his face, and his elbow was bleeding. He was clutching his ribs with one hand, and his head with another. **

**"Need I ask what you did now?" Hermione asks. **

**"Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had the nerve to start with me." Ron yells. **

**"Of course, they started it." Hermione says. **

**"Yes, they made me punch them." Ron says. **

**"Is there a charm to make one punch another?" Remus asks amused. **

**"I don't know, ask Hermione, she knows all the spells in the book." Ron says. **

**"Dimwit, he meant how did they make you punch them?" Hermione asks. **

**"They went and ran their mouths! I was sitting there talking to Padma-" Ron starts, but Hermione laughed. **

**"I'm sure." Hermione says. **

**"I was sitting there talking with her, and they barged in, and started crap. They should've just left, but they stayed and ran their bloody mouths." Ron says. **

**"Oh, and of course that made you punch them. Now I understand. I mean it's not like you ever run yours." Hermione says. **

**"Shut up! You may know book stuff, but you don't know what they said!" Ron says. **

**"Well enlighten us. What did they say?" Hermione asks. **

**"It's none of your damn business." Ron says. **

**"Oh, did it have to do with what was said in the apothecary?" Harry says in a whisper. **

**"No, completely different." Ron says. "I don't think they'd remember." Ron adds. **

**"Ooh, what was said in the apothecary?" Hermione asks. **

**"Nothing." Harry says. **

**"None of your bloody business." Ron says. **

**"Oh, so now you're both against me? I'm okay with not talking to him." Hermione says nodding toward Ron. **

**"Let me get that in writing." Ron says. **

**"Not until you say what was said in the apothecary." Hermione says. **

**"Ha! You talked! Anyway, Harry merely suggested that you were jealous of Padma, because of the way you were acting." Ron says. **

**"What? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, and to talk behind my back? I can't believe you Harry!" Hermione says getting up to leave. Harry crossed the compartment and stopped her. **

**"No, Hermione, I was only trying to raise Ron's self esteem. He was real upset about what you said." Harry says. **

**"Oh, so you lied to raise my ego, because the truth would only lower it, right?" Ron asks with hurt and confusion in his voice. **

**"No, no, I really thought that's why she was acting like that," Harry grabs Hermione by the arms, "but it was the only logical explanation for why you were being so cold toward Ron when he was with Padma, and if it's any consolation, I thought he was jealous of Viktor, because he was dating you." Harry says. **

**"Harry, you've lost your mind! I can't believe you would _think _that, let alone say that." Ron says. He leaves the compartment. **

**"You're lucky I have enough sense not to be immature and flip out. I'm going to cool down." Hermione says as she leaves. **

**Harry sat down and rested his face in his hands. "I was just trying to make everybody happy." Harry says. "I really thought they were jealous, both of them. You should've seen the way Ron acted around Hermione and Krum. He was cold to Padma at the dance, because he was too busy staring at Hermione. Hermione was snappy around Padma and Ron when they talked in the corridors, and now she's been watching him like a hawk. I could deal with not having one friend to talk to, but both of them, I can't deal with." Harry says. **

**"Want some advice?" Remus asks. **

**"Yes." Harry says. **

**"Don't tell your friends that you think they've got a crush on each other." Remus says. **

**"That would've been useful ten minutes ago, thanks." Harry says miserably. **

**The Hogwarts express came to a stop at Hogsmeade station, and Harry hadn't been able to talk to either of his friends. He found Hermione first, when he was getting his trunk. "Look, I know you're mad at me, but the truth is I was just trying to boost his self-esteem. You made him depressed that day, and that flattered him. I only went back to what I said before, because Ron started getting mad at me, and I hate not speaking to Ron. Please talk to me again. I need _a_ friend right now." Harry pleads. **

**"All right." Hermione says. "Don't talk behind my back though!" **

**"I swear I won't!" Harry promises. **

**They walk up to the gates and climb into a horseless carriage. Ron was talking to Neville there. Ron glared at Harry, but continued talking. Harry and Hermione were having their own little conversation, plainly not listening to Neville and Ron's conversation, that wasn't until they heard Ron bring up Neville's parents. **

**"Neville, may I ask why you don't live with your parents? I mean I always see you with your Gran. I didn't think it was appropriate to ask in our four years of knowing each other, but I was wondering why. You don't have to answer, if you don't want to." Ron says. **

**"No, it's all right. My parents were tortured by You-know-who. They're at St. Mungo's, because they're insane. They don't even recognize me." Neville answers. **

**"That's a shame, Neville. I'm really sorry. That must be horrible; they never knew how great a kid they had. They'd be proud of you." Ron says. **

**"Proud of me, I doubt it. I'm practically a squib." Neville says. **

**"They would be extremely proud. You're not a squib, and you're brilliant at Herbology. You can actually translate what Professor Sprout says, which is something, because I don't understand teachers, not even when Hermione tries to explain, but some how I learn in that class. I'd say you're a better teacher than Professor Sprout in that area." Ron says. **

**"Wow, really?" Neville asks. **

**"Honestly." Ron says. **

**"That would be a wicked job to teach here at Hogwarts, and Herbology… I never even thought about that. Thanks Ron!" Neville says. **

**The carriages stopped at the steps of the castle. They all got out. Neville was extremely happy, and he was thinking of all of the possibilities as they approached the doors, but they were locked. Everybody was confused. **

**Finally, Professors McGonagall and Snape opened the doors. They looked disappointed. "Mr. Weasley, Mr. Crabbe, Mr. Goyle, and Mr. Malfoy come forward, please." Professor McGonagall says. **

**"Which Mr. Weasley?" Fred asks. **

**Professor McGonagall didn't need to answer. Ron stepped forward with the others. "Follow Professor Snape to the dungeons." Professor McGonagall says sharply. They did as they were told. Ron followed Professor Snape and the three Slytherin students down to the dungeons. **

**"Let me tell you _four_," Though Snape was staring only at Ron when he said this, "That I am highly disappointed. All four of you should be suspended, but you would all miss too many lessons, when your OWLS are coming up." Snape says. **

**"Therefore, you will serve the next two weeks in detention. Your evenings and weekends belong to us. To be fair, you four will all have the same detentions. The first week belongs to me. The next Professor McGonagall. Your weekends will be devoted to cleaning the castle with Mr. Filch… the muggle way." Snape says. **

**"Professor, that's not fair! He hit me first, and Crabbe and Goyle came to my defense." Malfoy says. **

**"Yes, but as there were some fists thrown at him, you three will serve the same detentions. However, you have the option to be suspended, if that's what you choose." Snape says. **

**"No, sir." Malfoy says. **

**"May I be dismissed now? I heard you give out the detentions." Ron says. **

**"No, you may not." Another voice only belonging to Professor McGonagall says. "Hogwarts does not wish to have ill-mannered students in the Dining Hall. You'll eat here." Professor McGonagall says. **

**"I'm not hungry. May I go up to the common room?" Ron asks. **

**"If you won't be eating, you can get straight to work on your detention this evening." Professor McGonagall says. **

**"What am I doing?" Ron asks Professor Snape. **

**"Who needed their classroom cleaned?" Professor Snape asks. **

**"Nobody, although Sibyll could have her room sanitized of all those fumes." Professor McGonagall says. **

**"As much as I'd agree, I know she wouldn't. Sweep and mop the fifth, sixth, and seventh floors." Professor Snape says. **

**"Yes sir." Ron says standing up. He starts for the door. **

**"Minerva, I trust you to get him a broom and dustpan and a mop and bucket of soap water from Filch." Snape says. **

**"Of course." Professor McGonagall says. **

**"I along with Mr. Filch will be up to examine the cleanliness of the floors. If it's not done right the first time, you have to do them all over again." Snape says. **

**"Yes sir." Ron says tiredly. **

**Ron finished all three floors at midnight, but Ravenclaws were just coming up to their common room, and walked all over the wet floor. Tabitha stopped and saw Ron, bruised, with dry blood on him. She also saw the mop in his hand and she noticed the wet floor becoming covered with muddy footprints. **

**"Since when are you the janitor?" Tabitha asks. **

**"Since Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and I had a fight on the Hogwarts Express." Ron says with a yawn of exhaustion. **

**"Ouch. Do you have to mop all of this up again?" Tabitha asks. **

**"I'm not allowed into my common room until they're spotless." Ron says irritated. **

**"Sorry. I won't hold you up any longer." Tabitha says. **

**"See you later Tabby." Ron says. **

**"See you Ron." Tabitha says. **

**Just then Snape and Filch came up the stairs. **

**"Weasley, this floor is filthy." Snape says. **

**"Yes sir, the Ravenclaws just went to their common rooms, walking all over the floor." Ron says. **

**"Wash all three floors _again_!" Snape says. **

**"The other floors aren't dirty sir." Ron says. **

**"Maybe not, but you failed to clean all three, by the time we inspected them. I said you'd do it all over again, if you didn't do a good job of it the first time. Filch, follow me to the sixth floor." Snape says. **

**Ron watched them as they walked all over the steps, and the sixth and seventh floors. Now Ron would have to mop them all over again. **

**He finally was allowed to go to bed at three AM when Snape came out, shocked he was still awake, and more surprised he was still cleaning. Ron started for the common room, knowing Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle hadn't been given the task of mopping three floors, inside and out, and the staircases leading to them twice. He also knew, Professor Snape probably let them go at midnight. Ron got to the portrait of the Fat Lady, and realized he didn't know the password, and nobody was awake at this time of night to give it to him. He thought perhaps the Fat Lady would realize he was in her house and just let him in, but she did not. **

**He had to yell for her to wake up. "Password?" She asks. **

**"I don't know it. You know I'm a member of your house. I'm a Weasley, every Weasley's in this house. Let me in I'm tired." Ron says. **

**"I can't let you in without a password." She says. **

**"You can too. Just swing open, please? I'm exhausted!" Ron cries. **

**"No, I'm sorry." She says. **

**At least the Slytherins had Snape to tell them their password after their detention. He didn't remember to get the password from Professor McGonagall. Ron sat down against the wall and cradled his knees. He would just have to spend the night outside the common room. He stared at the Fat Lady angrily. **

**"You're not going to sit there all night, are you?" She asks. **

**"You won't let me in, where else am I supposed to go?" Ron asks. **

**The Fat Lady fell asleep, pretending Ron wasn't there. Ron wanted to scream or cry in frustration, but he was too tired to. He fell asleep, but not for long. **

**He was shaken awake by Filch. "What are you doing out here?" Filch asks. **

**"She won't let me in. I was serving detentions from nine until three, or don't you remember walking on the floors and stairs I mopped?" Ron asks yawning. **

**"Why didn't you ask your head of house for the password?" Filch asks. **

**"I would've been done in time to go in with my classmates, but you and Professor Snape didn't inspect the floor, until everybody went to bed. So I was unable to ask a prefect. Instead I had to mop the floors _again_!" Ron says. **

**"Come with me." Filch says. **

**"Why?" Ron asks. **

**"I need to write you up." Filch says. **

**"No, I've already got detentions for the next week! Just make her let me in!" Ron says. **

**"Are you failing to cooperate with an authority?" Filch asks. **

**Ron stood up. "No sir, I'm coming." Ron says.**


	9. Detentions And Brothers

**Chapter Eight**

**Detentions and Brothers**

**Luckily, September 1st, was on a Friday, meaning he wouldn't fall asleep during class, because it was now half past five on Saturday morning, and Ron had less than an hour's time to sleep. He had been in Filch's office for the past hour and a half trying hard not to fall asleep. **

**"You've got detentions with me today and tomorrow. Wake up. You can start by mopping the great hall." Filch says. **

**"Are you joking? I just mopped three floors and eight staircases twice. I haven't eaten since yesterday morning, and I haven't slept an hour yet! The other guys involved in the fight are serving detentions for you too, but they're asleep." Ron says. **

**"They're in bed. You now have the 16th and 17th booked, as you will be serving detentions for me." Filch says. **

**"You said I got _a_ detention, meaning one detention, for being out of bed, which wasn't my fault!" Ron says. **

**"Yes, but for your disrespect, I added another one." Filch says. **

**Ron stood up. **

**"Where do you think you're going?" Filch asks. **

**"You said to go start mopping the Great Hall." Ron says with a yawn. **

**Filch got him a broom, to sweep any decorations or crumbs from last night's feast, and gave him a mop and bucket of soapy water. He always started from the staff table and worked his way to the entrance, so he wouldn't get trapped. It was about eight o'clock when Ron finished and when somebody was about to enter the Great Hall. Ron figured this would happen. **

**However, it was Professor Dumbledore, and he did not step on the wet floor. **

**"Good morning, Mr. Weasley." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"Morning, sir." Ron says. **

**"I wonder, if you would care to have a chat in my office." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"I would, Professor Dumbledore sir, but I'm serving a detention for Mr. Filch." Ron says. **

**"The Great Hall must've taken you a couple hours to clean. Detentions usually aren't this early." Professor Dumbledore says, his blue eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles. **

**"Detentions usually aren't this unfair, sir." Ron says. **

**Just then, Dumbledore turned to find Filch with his cat Mrs. Norris. Mrs. Norris walked across the Great Hall leaving paw prints on the wet floor. Ron sighed and wiped his face with his hand in exhaustion. **

**"Headmaster, you may go through. He has to clean it again after breakfast anyway." Filch says. **

**"Ah, well, I had no intentions of eating just now, I actually wanted to speak with Mr. Weasley, but he wasn't sure that you'd allow him to stop cleaning long enough to come up to my office." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"Of course he may." He turns to Ron. "I'll have a bucket of soap water with rags in the trophy room, waiting for you, when you're finished." Filch says. **

**"Wonderful." Ron says sarcastically. **

**Ron follows Professor Dumbledore up to his office. As this was the first time Ron had ever been to the Headmaster's office he looked at everything he could, seeing Fawkes, the phoenix, which he had seen before, in his second year. He looked eagerly around him. **

**"Have a seat." Professor Dumbledore says. Ron sat across from Dumbledore. "I don't tolerate the kind of behavior, and the actions that you shown yesterday on the Hogwarts Express. Professor McGonagall would have suspended you, but Professor Snape wouldn't agree to suspend three of his students. Now I hear that you've been giving an additional two detentions to add to your already given two week's worth." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"That wasn't completely my fault, Professor. I was only out of bed, because Professor Snape had me mopping the floors, and I finished by the time everyone left the Great Hall, but they didn't come to inspect them until after they were walked on. Then I had to mop them all over again, and by three o'clock I was done and allowed to go to bed, but I never thought to get the password from Professor McGonagall, because I thought I'd be done, like I was, before the students walked all over it, and the portrait of the Fat Lady wouldn't let me in, because I didn't have the password. So Mr. Filch found me sitting outside the common room, and he gave me a detention for being out of bed after dark, and when I tried to explain, he gave me a detention for being disrespectful, sir." Ron explains. **

**"Three o'clock in the morning? I believe Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Crabbe, and Mr. Goyle were in their houses by eleven." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"Were they even given detention?" Ron asks. **

**"I'll be asking Professor Snape about that. Now what I've been curious about is a very insistent Mr. Malfoy claiming that you punched him first, is this true?" Professor Dumbledore asks. **

**"Yes sir, I hit them first." Ron says. **

**"Why?" Professor Dumbledore asks. **

**"I was sitting in a compartment, talking to a friend of mine, when they came in without knocking." Ron starts. **

**"Was this friend Mr. Potter? Or perhaps, Ms. Granger?" Professor Dumbledore asks. **

**"No sir, but anyway we don't get along at all, and they knew they weren't welcome there. They came in anyway. Malfoy said a few things regarding Diagon Alley, which I didn't react to, but he was trying to push me by saying all this crap, I mean stuff, and he finally got to me, because he made a threat, and I was scared and I thought hitting him would shut him up, but it obviously was a bad choice, sir." Ron says. **

**"What was the threat he made?" Professor Dumbledore asks. **

**"He had said that he hoped I said goodbye to my parents, because that was the last time I would see them. I was mad at them at King's Cross so I didn't say anything to them, and the thought of them being killed scared me, and Harry told me that Malfoy's father was a death eater, and I don't know what came over me, I got mad and started hitting him sir. It was really stupid, and a really bad decision sir. I mean my parents could disapparate if they came. I just didn't think about how unreal that was at the time. I mean the Death Eater's and You-Know-Who can't stop someone from apparating, right?" Ron asks. **

**"The dark magic is very dangerous, powerful, and mysterious. I do not know for certain if they possess this power, but I do know that people have been tortured and killed, when they had nothing stopping them from disapparating, with the exception of the element of surprise." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"But they can't come to the burrow, right?" Ron asks hopefully. **

**"Were you stating a fact that Mr. Malfoy said this?" Professor Dumbledore asks. **

**"I wouldn't make this up!" Ron says in disbelief. **

**"I'll be right back, please excuse me for a moment." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**Ron was very upset. Not only was he more mad at Malfoy for making the threat, he was scared for his parents' lives, he felt guilty that he didn't say goodbye, and he was hurt that Professor Dumbledore didn't believe him. Ron decided he couldn't care about anything anymore. His friends talked behind his back, his parents were disappointed in him, he wasn't close with his brothers or Ginny, and worst of all no matter how hard he tried to explain, nobody ever believed him, or trusted him. He was going to do things his way now. He wouldn't care about the consequences. He'd be cold to pain and feelings. He'd have to be. He couldn't believe how much people changed after his actions with Sabrina. When did he miss the change? Was it during the duration of his stay at Grandfather's? **

**When Professor Dumbledore returned he had Malfoy with him. Ron rolled his eyes and rested his face in his hands. He did not need to be called a liar, right now. He needed food and sleep. **

**"Have a seat." Professor Dumbledore says to Malfoy. Ron moved his chair away from the one next to it; where Malfoy was to sit, and Malfoy pulled his chair a good distance away before sitting down in it. **

**"As I have heard, your side of the story Mr. Malfoy, I have also listened to Mr. Weasley's." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"He hit me first!" Malfoy says, before Dumbledore can say anything else. **

**"He doesn't deny that. However, he says you made a threat against his parents." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"I can't control the way he reacts." Malfoy says glaring at Ron. **

**"You don't deny threatening him, then?" Professor Dumbledore asks. **

**"He ran his mouth as well." Malfoy says. **

**"Did you make the threat or not?" Professor Dumbledore asks. **

**"I might've slipped… as a joke." Malfoy says. **

**Professor Dumbledore writes something on a slip of parchment, and again on another. He walks over to Fawkes, and ties them to its legs. **

**Fawkes leave's Dumbledore's office. **

**"I have sent my phoenix to fetch the heads of your houses." Professor Dumbledore says. "Something must be done about your hatred towards each other. I will not tolerate fighting in my school. Now, return your chairs to where they were." **

**Ron stood up and moved his chair back where it was, but did not sit down. He walked over to where he had been standing and crossed his arms. Malfoy did the same. They both dared glances at each other, thinking 'copycat.' **

**Professor Dumbledore was starting to grow impatient. "This is very ridiculous. Both of you have a seat." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"I'd rather stand, thank you." Malfoy jeered. **

**"We have too much fighting outside Hogwarts, now you will sit down." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**Neither student moved. **

**Finally, they could hear footsteps up the moving spiral staircase that lead to Professor Dumbledore's office. Professors Snape and McGonagall entered. **

**"Good morning, Professor Dumbledore, I-" She stopped, as she saw the two students there. "Mr. Weasley, Mr. Malfoy, you have been threatened with suspension if you fought again I-" **

**Professor Snape cut her off. "What happened now?" Professor Snape asks. He looked evilly towards Ron, looked bewildered toward Malfoy, and then looked expectantly at Dumbledore. **

**"Nothing since last night, but speaking of last night, what was Mr. Malfoy's detention?" Professor Dumbledore asks. **

**"He helped Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle with mopping the dungeons." Professor Snape says. **

**"What time was he finished?" Professor Dumbledore asks Snape. **

**"Eleven, in two hours time." Professor Snape says. **

**"And how did Mr. Weasley serve his detention?" Professor Dumbledore asks. **

**"Mopping the fifth, sixth, and seventh floors." Professor Snape says. **

**"On his own?" Professor Dumbledore asks. **

**"Yes. He chose not to work with my students." Professor Snape says. **

**"What time was he finished?" Professor Dumbledore asks. **

**"He finished just before the students left the dining hall, but foolishly chose to do mop the fifth floor last, causing the Ravenclaws to dirty the wet floor. I had him do it over again, and he was done at three." Professor Snape says. **

**"You had me wash the staircases too. I wasn't going to get trapped up there from starting from the bottom. I couldn't very well fly down, and if I had went down the stairs, I would have messed up." Ron says. **

**"You were not asked to talk Mr. Weasley." Professor McGonagall snaps. **

**"Why I asked you to come was because these two refuse to cooperate with one another. They don't get along at all, and they've already fought once _that we know of_. They can't behave civilly together, and as they share classes, they'll need to. I suggest that when term starts, you pair them together in classes. They'll learn to work together, and until they do in at least a proper way, they lose all privileges. Hogsmeade visits, Quidditch matches, Halloween feast, and the Yule Ball." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"That's not fair! He doesn't lose anything in Quidditch matches. He doesn't have the talent to be on the team." Malfoy says. "I on the other hand, am on the team." **

**"Then I suggest you act like your age, and act decently when you're in classes and such." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"I'd rather be suspended than be paired with white trash, thank you." Malfoy says. **

**"Yes, please suspend him, I'd stop fighting." Ron says. **

**Malfoy glowered at him. **

**"If Mr. Malfoy were to be suspended, you would be suspended as well." Professor McGonagall says. **

**"But I'm not the one asking for a vacation, he is." Ron says. **

**"I'm surprised your not suspended already, weren't you supposed to be expelled if you did anything wrong after you flew your daddy's car to Hogwarts?" Malfoy asks. **

**"Well, I obviously didn't do anything wrong, I mean hitting you must obviously be the right thing." Ron says smartly. **

**"Also note that in addition to their lost privileges, their weekends belong to cleaning the school, with Mr. Filch. They'll clean together, is that understood and agreed?" Professor Dumbledore asks Professors McGonagall and Snape. **

**"NO!" Malfoy and Ron said in unison. **

**"Agreed." Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape say simultaneously. **

**"Well, Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Weasley, I suggest you two sort out your differences and get acquainted. Know that if you do get caught fighting again, you will be suspended, both of you. When you return from your suspension, if that does happen, you will still have the same policies I have now. Befriend each other, or you'll lose your privileges and you'll be cleaning the school, the muggle way." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"Well thank you, I'll remember not to get caught then. Excuse me I have to go clean the trophy room." Ron says and leaves. **

**"You can help him." Professor McGonagall says. **

**"But I haven't even had breakfast!" Malfoy growls. **

**"Yes, and Mr. Weasley hasn't had dinner, breakfast, or sleep. He has no hesitation in serving his detention." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"Yes, but white trash is used to that." Malfoy says before leaving. **

**"It's not possible for them to even pretend to be proper around each other, how do you intend on getting them to work together?" Professor McGonagall asks. **

**"I took their privileges away, and I'm making them work." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"Neither one of them seems to care. Except Mr. Malfoy was upset about Quidditch." Professor McGonagall says. "I don't think we've had more stubborn teenagers, reluctant to get along, well with the exception of Severus and Sirius Black, but that was ages ago. How did we change your minds?" **

**"You didn't. I still hate him to this day." Professor Snape says. **

**"Before he murdered all those muggles and betrayed Lily and James Potter, you must've let go of that grudge…" Professor McGonagall says. **

**"Nope, I still hate their gang, even though they're not alive." Professor Snape says. **

**"Well, we've got to get them to stop fighting every time they see each other." Professor McGonagall says. "Do you hear the way they talk to each other? Mr. Malfoy calling Mr. Weasley white trash. I was honestly surprised that Mr. Weasley held his temper." **

**"They're teenagers with a lot of anger in them. They need to take their anger out on something else, other than each other." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"Draco had Quidditch, but you chose to take that away from him." Professor Snape says. **

**"Perhaps, I won't have to. Severus, I need a word with Minerva for a moment. I'll continue our conversation at breakfast in the Great Hall." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**Professor Snape left Dumbledore's office. **

**"I believe that Gryffindor has a keeper position open this year. I believe Mr. Weasley has talent, and perhaps if you ran it by his brothers, and Mr. Potter… you could have him tryout." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"Of course. That's a wonderful idea." Professor McGonagall says. "All though, I won't run it by them, until term starts, I personally doubt that he'll control his temper until then." **

**"I'm surprised he's held it thus long. He hasn't slept or eaten anything in twelve hours. You'll need to give him the house password, or he'll spend the night getting points taken away by Filch and given chores to do. Although, I must say, the Great Hall was sparkling clean this morning." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**When Professor McGonagall entered the Great Hall, Harry stopped her from going to the staff table. "Professor, you haven't suspended Ron, have you?" Harry asks. **

**"Of course not." Professor McGonagall says. **

**"Then where is he?" Hermione asks. **

**"Cleaning the trophy room." Professor McGonagall says. She walked up to the staff table before they could ask any more questions. They ran out of the Great Hall running toward the trophy room. **

**When they got there, they saw Malfoy polishing the trophies with a look of disgust on his face, while Ron kept his distance. He just finished washing the windows and now he took the muggle broom and started sweeping the floor. **

**"That's the only thing you'll ever be able to do with a broom Weasley." Malfoy says nastily. **

**"Yes, well the only thing your able to do with a broom Malfoy, is shove it up your ass." Ron says. Then he grabs the soapy rag from the bucket that had a mop in it and swung it, getting water on Malfoy and the trophies. Without even looking, Ron adds, "Oh, you missed a spot." **

**"Sorry, I'm not white trash like you, I'm not good at cleaning things the muggle way." Malfoy says. "But I'm sure that's what you do, when your father's a muggle lover." **

**"Yes, and I'm sure with your father being a death eater, you call You-Know-Who an uncle." Ron says. **

**Malfoy stopped. He almost crossed the room, but thought better of it. Harry and Hermione entered. **

**"This is called detention, detaining us from friends and fun, now leave." Malfoy snaps. **

**"Like you ever had either." Ron says. **

**"Yes, well you really shouldn't be cleaning. White trash has _fun_ cleaning. Weasley, rinse this for me." Malfoy says throwing a rag at him. Ron didn't go after him. He merely smiled nastily, before he took the rag, dipped it in the soapy water, and threw it back at Malfoy drenching the shoulder of his robe. Malfoy looked daggers at him, but didn't do anything. **

**Harry and Hermione walked over to Ron. **

**"Where were you last night?" Harry asks. **

**"I was mopping the floors of Hogwarts." Ron says. **

**"All night?" Hermione asks. **

**"No I had just finished at midnight, but I wasn't allowed to leave until Snape inspected it, but he didn't come until after everybody left the Great Hall, walking all over the floor. So he made me mop the fifth floor over again, and to assure that I would do the sixth and seventh floors again, he and Filch walked all around them." Ron says. **

**"When did you finish that?" Hermione asks. **

**"Three, but I didn't know the password, and the Fat Lady wouldn't let me in. So at four, Filch gave me another two detentions, and he told me to start on today's detentions. So I mopped the Great Hall, but Mrs. Norris walked on it, and I've got to clean it again after lunch." Ron says. **

**"So how many detentions do you have all together?" Harry asks. **

**"I got a week's worth from Snape, and a week's worth from McGonagall. Not to mention, every weekend I have to clean the castle for Filch." Ron says. **

**"For how long?" Hermione asks. **

**"All year probably." Ron answers. **

**"For fighting? You can't be serious." Hermione says. **

**"No Dumbledore won't let me go to Hogsmeade, eat in the Great Hall, go to Quidditch matches, and apparently the Yule Ball's back this year, and I'm forbidden from going to that until I _befriend_** **Malfoy." Ron says. **

**"That's impossible! We need you as keeper! Malfoy, can't you pretend to be at least decent around Ron. Obviously, the same restrictions apply to you. Slytherin will replace you as a seeker, and you wouldn't want that, would you? They could use a new one, but still you lose, as does he." Harry says. **

**"No Harry, it's okay, Malfoy will love cleaning the castle with Filch and Ron." Hermione teases. **

**"Shut up mudblood!" Malfoy says. **

**Ron without hesitating took the mop from the bucket and swung it across the room, the mop strings, smacking Malfoy in the face, knocking him down. **

**"Wash out your mouth." Ron says. **

**He grabbed the mop back quickly and placed it in the bucket just in time, as Filch strolled by. **

**"What happened?" Filch asks helping Malfoy up. **

**"Slipped." Malfoy lies. **

**"Be careful!" Filch snaps. Seeing Harry and Hermione, he barks, "What are you two doing in here. Admiring trophies, I doubt it! Get out of here, this is a detention, detaining students of fun!" **

**Harry and Hermione carefully left. **

**When Filch was well out of earshot, Ron muttered, "Thanks." **

**However, Malfoy was not happy and walked over to him and punched him to the ground. "Don't get caught." Malfoy teases. He walks back over to the trophy case, as Ron started to mop. **

**Luckily, and because Malfoy didn't want to clean anymore, Malfoy did not step over the clean floor. Ron and Malfoy had to clean the Great Hall, Ron mopped and Malfoy cleaned the tables. Over the course of the day, they had swept and mopped most of the castles, at least twice. Ron was told the password from Harry and entered Gryffindor Tower at one in the morning. **

**Ron fell asleep, but once again it wasn't for long. Ron awoke at three thirty, feeling something hairy, crawling on him. Ron gasped and woke up sweating, thinking he had had a nightmare of spiders crawling all over him, but it wasn't a nightmare. There were countless spiders, live all over the room. They were swarming all over the floor; Ron's bed was covered in them. Spider webs were stretched from the top of his canopy to the floor. They surrounded him. Ron's biggest fear was spiders, and this was worse. These were tarantulas. Ron wasn't sure whether to scream or not, but as two crawled up his legs he had no other choice. He screamed waking all the other boys up, but there weren't webs surrounding their beds, but they didn't dare move. Ron cried smacking the spiders off him. He didn't care if they bit him, as long as he could get out of the dorm. **

**At first he thought it was Malfoy's way of paying him back, but when he got down the dormitory steps into the common room. He saw his twin brothers, Fred and George laughing hysterically, and they were grinning madly in the armchair by the fireplace. People came out of their dorms wanting to know who screamed. Once Ron found his voice, he started screaming and hitting his brothers, who were too shocked to fight back at first. **

**"HOW DARE YOU? I HATE YOU! THAT'S THE WORST THING YOU'VE EVER DONE TO ME! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE EITHER OF YOU!" Ron screamed. He broke down sobbing. **

**Just then, Professor McGonagall looking very disturbed entered the common room still in her nightcap. "What in Heaven's name is going on?" Professor McGonagall demanded. **

**"It was nothing, Professor, really." Fred says. **

**"Just a small joke." George says with an innocent face that the Professor learned ages ago wasn't innocent at all. **

**Ron left the common room crying angrily at how cruel his brothers were. His ankle and hands were starting to swell, and he thought he was going to faint as he walked down to the hospital wing. He wanted to run, but the poison from the tarantulas was now traveling in his blood. He made it to the infirmary, managed to tell Madam Pomfrey what happened, before passing out, before even reaching a bed. **

**Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall was unsure of what to do. It wasn't as if Ron had fought Malfoy, but rather it was his brothers who picked on him, and for somebody under so much strain as Ron right now, who hadn't eaten in over twenty-four hours, who hadn't slept decently since before he arrived at Hogwarts, and who had been insulted terribly by Malfoy, it wasn't a wonder why his rage was building up. Professor McGonagall had never really seen the twins pick on their brother, but not only had she seen them do it, she'd seen them do the worst thing they could to their brother. **

**Professor McGonagall made the tarantulas disappear with one wave of her wand, but now Dean, Seamus, Harry, and Neville were scared to go back into their dorm. They all knew Ron had been terrified of spiders since Professor Lupin's Defense Against The Dark Arts class in their third year, Harry had known since their second year. All the students were curious as to what happened so everybody came out. **

**Professor McGonagall was outraged with the twins. She could have been Mrs. Weasley with her temper, only she was angrier than Harry had ever seen her. Hermione and Ginny had rushed over to Harry to ask what happened, but he couldn't answer, as Professor McGonagall had started yelling. **

**"THE LAST THING YOUR BROTHER NEEDS RIGHT NOW IS WHAT YOU JUST PULLED! HE'S UNDER A LOT OF STRAIN RIGHT NOW! HE HASN'T SLEPT MORE THAN FOUR HOURS IN THE LAST FORTY-EIGHT AND THEN YOU TWO GO AND PULL WHAT YOU CALL A PRANK, ONLY THAT IT ISN'T! IT WASN'T A CRUEL JOKE! IT WAS A CRUEL ACTION TO HURT YOUR BROTHER! YOU KNEW OF ALL PEOPLE THAT HE HATES SPIDERS, AND YOU PUT LIVE SPIDERS ALL OVER THEIR ROOM, HIS BED! NOT ONLY SPIDERS, EITHER! POISONOUS TARANTULAS! NOT TO ADD, THAT IT'S NOT ONLY HIS DORMITORY! THERE ARE FOUR OTHER PEOPLE WHO SLEEP THERE, WHO YOU DIDN'T TAKE TWO SECONDS TO THINK OF! NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE DETENTIONS FOR THE NEXT WEEK, I'LL BE INFORMING YOUR MOTHER!" Professor McGonagall screamed. **

**"Professor, it was a joke." George says. **

**"Yea, and we took more than two seconds to think about, Harry, Dean, Seamus, and Neville! We put a charm on them that would repel the spiders!" Fred says. **

**"We were just making sure he hadn't changed too much, honestly it was just a test to see how much he changed over our Grandfather's this summer." George says. **

**"You two are to be in bed every night after dinner!" Professor McGonagall roars. "You do not want me to find you pulling another stunt like this again ever, or else I will have your mum come to Hogwarts to make sure you don't!" **

**Professor McGonagall looked at Harry, Dean, Seamus, and Neville. "Are any of you hurt?" Professor McGonagall asks. **

**"No Professor." They all said. **

**"I don't want to be back here again! Go to your dorms now!" Professor McGonagall barked at Fred and George. They ran quickly. Lee Jordan followed them. **

**Professor McGonagall left. **

**"That's horrible! Fred and George are awful sometimes!" Ginny says shaking her head. "Good luck getting back to bed." She told Harry as she left for her dorm. **

**Hermione looked at Harry. "What is happening to him? It's like all this terrible stuff all at once. I wish things would go back to the way they were." Hermione says. **

**"I don't blame Ron for being scared of spiders. The whole floor was moving! It was swarmed with spiders. If they do that at home I'd be scared of them too, though I'd be more afraid of my brothers." Dean says. **

**"Where is Ron anyway?" Harry asks. **

**Professor McGonagall found Ron in the hospital the next day sound asleep. "I don't expect him up for a while. The poison's got him sick, and I gave him an antidote, but he's got to sleep while it works. He looks like he hasn't slept enough anyway." Madam Pomfrey says. **

**"He hasn't." Professor McGonagall says and she starts explaining the detentions and the spiders. Madam Pomfrey was aghast. **

**"He hasn't eaten much lately, has he? I will excuse him from his week of detentions. He can't take this much strain and work, and not be sleeping or eating. When term starts, he'll be overwhelmed with schoolwork. Fifth year, isn't he? OWLS are coming up. He'll take in more than he can handle without the detentions and work. Have Professor Dumbledore talk to me if he doesn't approve." Madam Pomfrey says. **

**"There should be no objections, but I will let you know." Professor McGonagall says. **

**The next morning, Ron was out of the hospital wing after receiving his schedule. Madam Pomfrey had him eat a big breakfast before leaving for his first lesson, which happened to be Transfiguration. **

**"Good morning, and welcome back." Professor McGonagall says. "First thing's first. You'll be working in pairs. Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy, I believe you already know your seating arrangement. You two sit up front here." Professor McGonagall says pointing to the desk in front. **

**Ron and Malfoy walked up to the desk and pulled their chairs as far apart as they could without McGonagall noticing, and sat down. **

**Professor McGonagall was not happy about this, though she didn't say anything. **

**"Everybody else, pair up already." Professor McGonagall says. The rest of the class paired up and took their seats. **

**"Now, this term we'll be learning Animagi, where in addition to preparing for your OWLS, you will be turning yourselves into animals. Everybody should choose one animal and really think about what they want to be." Professor McGonagall says. She turned herself into her Animagus form, a gray tabby cat. **

**While the class applauded, Malfoy leaned towards Ron, grinning he whispered, "Well, you can now turn yourself into the weasel you are." **

**Ron leaned towards him now, returning the grin. "There should only be one rodent in this room, and you've already been turned into the amazing bouncing ferret. I'll leave you to that." **

**Malfoy's grin changed into a smirk. **

**The lesson went on without much event. **

**Next lesson was charms with Professor Flitwick. Luckily, it wasn't with the Slytherins. Ron sat with Neville, while Harry and Hermione paired up. He insisted they review everything to prepare for their OWLS, and started by having them test Cheering Charms to set them all in good moods. **

**After Charms they had lunch. Ron went down to the kitchens and got his food, while everyone else went down to the Great Hall. **

**After lunch was finished, the Gryffindors headed outside to the Greenhouses for Herbology. They learned the uses of Gillyweed, a plant that could make you breathe underwater, and where to find it. Ron looked at Harry, who obviously was having a difficult time, as Cedric Diggory was of Hufflepuff, and not only were they having class with Hufflepuff, but their head of house was teaching the subject. Harry still felt responsible for Cedric's death and the Hufflepuffs and Professor Sprout were lifting the guilt at all. The Hufflepuffs were acting like they had been in Harry's second year, afraid of him, cold towards him, as if it was his fault. Professor Sprout simply didn't look at him. **

**After Herbology the Gryffindors ran across the lawns and down into the dungeons for Potions. Not that any of them enjoyed Potions, because Professor Snape hated the Gryffindors, but they ran because if you were late, you might as well not have come at all. **

**Once again Ron was paired up with Malfoy in the front of the class. However, Ron knew that Malfoy could say whatever he wanted, and Snape would be deaf to him, but even a whisper towards Malfoy, Snape would hear. Today Professor Snape had them review antidotes, and he threatened to poison one of them in the classroom, but Harry was sure he did not mean him. The way Snape's eyes kept flashing dangerously in the direction of Ron was starting to frighten him. **

**Luckily, nobody was poisoned, and Ron left just as safe as any other Gryffindor. He hadn't responded to Malfoy's remarks at all, in fact Harry wondered if he had gone deaf, because he didn't react in the slightest. **

**Harry and Hermione, instead of eating in the Great Hall, went down into the kitchens and got their dinners eating upstairs in the common room. **

**"I'm surprised you didn't kill him. Did you even hear what he was saying?" Harry asks. **

**"Of course not." Ron says smiling mischievously. **

**"How did you block him out?" Harry asks. **

**"I stayed behind in Flitwick's class, asked him to teach me a few charms." Ron says. **

**"For example?" Harry asks. **

**"A calming charm, and a charm that makes you temporarily deaf to enemies. Only, Professor Flitwick performed it, and I could only be temporarily deaf to one person, he thought I'd use it to not listen to a teacher, so I thought of Malfoy, and I kept seeing his mouth move, but I couldn't hear a word." Ron says. **

**"That's a good thing." Harry says. **

**Hermione elbowed him. **

**"I have no intentions of fighting, so stop beating up Harry." Ron says. **

**Just then the portrait hole swung open, and the twins entered. Ron still wasn't talking to them. **

**"Ron, we're really sorry!" Fred says. **

**"We've been trying to apologize all day, but you weren't in the hospital wing or the great hall at all!" George says. **

**"You can't ignore us forever!" Fred says. **

**"Yea, we bought you those dress robes! You have to forgive us. Something really nice has to make you forgive us for something really mean!" George says. **

**Ron went up to his dorm without saying a word to them. His door opened and a box flew downstairs. The twins picked it up. There was a note taped on it. **

Get your money back! 

** "That was not supposed to be for blackmail. I don't think Ron will forgive you for quite a while." Harry says. "Now he has no reason too." **

**"Please, Ron won't go to the Yule Ball in those crappy robes he wore last year, he got taller, they probably wouldn't even fit him anymore!" Fred argues. **

**"It wouldn't matter anyway. He's on restriction, he's not allowed to attend the Yule Ball, Quidditch Matches, Hogsmeade visits, or meals in the Great Hall." Hermione explains. **

**"What? Why?" George asks with disbelief. **

**"Because of all his fighting with Malfoy. Until they get along, Ron's not allowed." Hermione says. **

**"He's right, we should get our money back. Them getting along is never going to happen." Fred says. **

**"I'll be right back." Harry says. **

**Harry runs up to the dorm to find Ron starting on his Potions' Essay they had been assigned. **

**"Ron, look you know on the Hogwarts Express? I never got a chance to explain. I only said what I did, because I didn't want to get Hermione upset with me. Only don't tell Hermione I said that." Harry says quickly. **

**"The thing is I'm not sure if I do like her in that kind of way. When you said it, I saw her reaction to what you told her, and she looked horrified. I got scared and flipped out at you. When I get scared I get mad, and I don't know why. Malfoy scared me on the train, and not like 'BOO!' jumping out at me, or something like that, but he threatened my parents' lives. He said 'I hope you said goodbye to your parents, that's the last time you'll see them.' I didn't even think, I just panicked and then changed it from fear to determination, and I lost it. Dumbledore even said he's not sure what kind of Dark Magic You-know-who holds. I always thought if you were an adult you could apparate, but if you have kids with you, you couldn't, but wizards and witches without kids have been killed because he comes when they're sleeping. I guess the thought of losing my parents scared me. I mean I'm mad at them, because they're unfair to me, but I don't hate them." Ron explains. **

**"Did you owl them and let them know?" Harry asks. **

**"I told Dumbledore. Malfoy even confessed to saying it, but he said it was a joke. Anyway, Dumbledore's owling them." Ron says. **

**"Good." Harry says. "So do you ever think you'll forgive your brothers?" **

**"Probably, in a few years maybe." Ron says. "I'm so sick of them laughing at me. They were the ones who caused my fear of spiders, so they get a big kick out of me crying when they're crawling all over me." **

**"I never knew how horrible the twins could be until last night." Harry says. **

**"They're not horrible, Harry. They're just stupid sometimes. They like joking around and getting their laughs, but sometimes they just don't realize people are hurt by their jokes and laughter, though it's usually only me." Ron says. **

**Meanwhile, the twins were downstairs talking with Hermione. Hermione had just finished lecturing them about being so immature and cruel towards Ron. **

**"Look Hermione," George started. "We know now that it was a bad time to pull that." **

**"We know it was stupid to pull it, because our brother hates us. Look, go out with him will you? We know you have a crush on him, so just go out with him, and tell him that he should forgive us. You have a way of getting people to think certain ways." Fred says. **

**"I'm not going out with him!" Hermione says surprised at how stupid the twins could be. **

**"For us?" Fred asks. **

**"Please?" George asks. **

**"NO! Especially not for you! That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Ron is my friend, just my friend." Hermione says. **

**"Yes, and if he's your friend, he'll listen to you! Talk to him for us." Fred says. **

**"Make him forgive us!" George says. **

**"No, I don't even forgive you!" Hermione says. **

**"So you're upset about what we did, even though you weren't there. You're mad at us because we hurt Ron's feelings and scared the crap out of him. Right, Hermione, you don't like him more than friends. And I'm Professor McGonagall." Fred says. **

**"Well, professor, you certainly have transfigured yourself into a real dimwit!" Hermione says. **

**The next morning, the twins brought their breakfasts up to the common room, joining Ron, trying to persuade him that they were really sorry, but having no success. Mail came, and Mrs. Weasley sent two things, a howler for Fred and George, (IF YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN I PROMISE YOU I WILL COME BACK THERE AND MAKE SURE YOU DON'T) in which she yelled herself hoarse, and a letter to Ron, which Ron didn't open. **

**"Mum still thinks we're one person. See only one howler." George says shaking his head. **

**"She yelled herself hoarse in one! She probably figured you'd both be at the same place anyway. Ron probably got an angry letter, because she couldn't yell any more." Hermione says. **

**"Why would she yell at me?" Ron asks. **

**"For the fight on the Hogwarts Express." Hermione says. **

**"What does your letter say?" Fred asks. **

**"Harry ask him what his letter says." George says. **

**"Harry, I heard them." Ron says opening his letter. Ron looks surprised. He reads it aloud. **

**_Ron, _**

**_ Although your actions on the Hogwarts Express were not at all acceptable, I have saved you from the humiliation of a howler, besides your mother has gone hoarse from screaming at the twins. We were very upset that you did not say goodbye to us before you left for Hogwarts. Unfortunately, any further consequences will be reported to your Grandfather. Your mother will not let me indulge you anymore. This is the last time. It would've been reported to your Grandfather, but Professor Dumbledore's explanations of the threat and my pleas to save you from horrible summers have spared you. I ask you not to get into any more trouble. I don't know what has gotten into you, but you'd do well with getting it out of you. _**

**_You don't want to be in your Grandfather's custody, there's a difference between a visit and living there, and this is it: if you live there, there's nothing your mother and I can do to help you. We can't interfere; we can't come and get you. The work will be ten times harder, and the punishments, ten times worse, if you can imagine them being worse. Please don't let your stubbornness ruin your life or your relationship with your brothers. You know they never think of the consequences, so forgive them, because otherwise you are a hypocrite. You forgot to think of the consequences when you lied to your mother and spent the night at Sabrina's. You forgot to think of the consequences when you ran away. You forgot to think of the consequences when you hit Malfoy. They wanted laughs; it was very intolerable, and they didn't think it would hurt you at the time; they just wanted a good reaction. You wanted revenge on Malfoy for threatening us, which was very intolerable. You didn't care that you hurt him as long as you shut him up. We're forgiving you. Forgive Fred and George. I love you and miss you. _**

**Dad**

** "What threat did Malfoy make?" Fred asks.**

**"He said that he hoped I said goodbye to mum and dad, because it would be the last time I saw them. I figured he might take it back if I hit him hard enough, maybe he would even forget, but Crabbe and Goyle were with him and he claims it was a joke. Still I don't trust him." Ron says. **

**"We'd better get to class." Hermione says. **

**Ron, Harry, and Hermione left for their first class of the day, which was History of Magic, the most boring subject taught by a ghost for a teacher who droned on and on as he read. Even Hermione was bored in his class. The only thing interesting that ever happened in that class was the fact that Professor Binns entered through the chalkboard as he was a ghost, but even that wasn't interesting as he had done it everyday. The only time they ever had an interesting lesson in that class was in their second year, when Hermione asked about the Chamber of Secrets. **

**They all got to class and almost everyone fell into their usual stupor, everyone except Dean Thomas and Ron. Dean was sketching the Gryffindor Lion, as he was good at art and extremely bored. Ron was writing something. Surprised that Ron had even picked up his quill rather than go to sleep like he had always done the years before, Professor Binns floated over to him. Ron looked up. **

**"Planning on passing notes, Mr. Weasley?" Professor Binns asks. **

**"No sir." Ron says. **

**"Let me see that." Professor Binns says. **

**Everyone looked up to see why Professor Binns wasn't droning on and on. Ron had turned his notebook around and lifted his arm to show him what he wrote. **

**Professor Binns might've died of shock, had he not already been dead. Ron was summarizing what Professor Binns was saying. He was writing down important names and dates on the sides. Not even Hermione had taken notes in Binns' class. "You're taking notes?" Professor Binns asks. **

**"Yes sir, the OWLS are coming up. See, you wrote it on the chalkboard that everything you read will be in your OWLS!" Ron says pointing toward the chalkboard. **

**Hermione hadn't seen this, neither had the other students apparently. Professor Binns looked back remembering writing it, but not expecting anybody to notice it. **

**"Twenty-five points to Gryffindor for paying attention." Professor Binns says. Then he floated to the front of the class and read on. Now everybody was taking notes. **

**After History of Magic, they had Defense Against The Dark Arts. Ron hadn't known whom the new professor was, but was extremely surprised to find Fleur DeLacour as their Professor. She was only an alumnus of Beauxbatons (a wizarding school in France,) this year. She had participated in the Tri-wizard Tournament last year. Ron had been very embarrassed, because he found himself attracted to her last year as she was part Veela, and asked her to the Yule Ball. Luckily though, she had thought he helped Harry save her sister from the depths of the Great Lake during the second task, so she was much warmer to them. Ron didn't know what kind of Professor she'd make, and was sure it didn't comfort Harry at all. She probably reminded him of the Tri-wizard Tournament last year, and the Tri-wizard Tournament made him think of Cedric's death, and he felt guilty as if it were his own fault. **

**_Professor_ DeLacour was very nice though. She was reviewing the curses and creatures they had learned about. She was about to teach them a charm that would protect them from evil, Harry would most likely have known this from learning so much more than usual fourth years did, as he was in the Tri-wizard Tournament, but time ran out, and she promised to teach them next time. **

**They had lunch, Harry and Hermione joining Ron in the common room, before going off to their next lessons. For Harry and Ron it was Divination, while Hermione went off to Arithmancy. Professor Trelawney entered eerily, through all the smoke and fumes. **

**"I predict you will all need much help this year to pass your OWLS you must think clearly. We'll be looking at the planets, and you'll be figuring out your horoscope for this week." Professor Trelawney says. **

**Professor Trelawney stopped as she walked up to Harry and Ron who were trying to contain their sniggers and who were rolling their eyes. She looked at Ron and said in her misty voice, "Great tragedy awaits you." **

**Ron couldn't help it, he burst into laughter, "I'll be eager to find it then." **

**"Mr. Weasley, only because the fates foretell me that you will not be laughing for a long time, will I allow you to laugh in this classroom." Professor Trelawney says. **

**"All right, don't mind me." Ron says falling off his chair laughing, he wasn't really laughing at Professor Trelawney, but he was, to piss her off. Dean and Seamus sniggered loudly. Harry couldn't help but grin, but he did worry about Ron, after what Malfoy had said about his parents. If they were killed, that would be a great tragedy. Then again, it was hard not to laugh. Professor Trelawney was a phony. She had predicted Harry's death about a thousand times, but still Harry wondered. **

**When Ron finally settled down, they resumed a very uneventful class. **

**After Divination, they had Care of Magical Creatures, but Hagrid wasn't teaching it. In fact, Hagrid hadn't been at the Great Feast and he hadn't met the first years at Hogsmeade. Hagrid wasn't there. He was probably on a mission with Madame Maxime in the mountains trying to get the giants to be on the good side. He had told Harry he had a special task from Dumbledore to do over the summer, and Dumbledore had told Fudge to invite the giants back into their world, before they sided with the Dark world. Professor Grubbly-Plank, who taught the class last year, when Hagrid had locked himself away in his cabin after Rita Skeeter wrote about him being a half-giant, now taught the Care of Magical Creatures class. It wasn't the same without Hagrid there. They learned about Fwoopers, medium sized birds that had beautiful feathers. They were told that owners of Fwoopers had to put a silencing charm on them once a month, for their song drove wizards and witches mad. Malfoy and Ron kept their distance in this class and neither caused disruption. **

**Their final lesson was astronomy, and nothing out of the ordinary happened there. They spent the lesson learning more about stars and galaxies. Ron and Hermione headed for the common room to eat their dinners, when Harry approached Professor McGonagall. She was just cleaning up her room when she saw him at the door looking anxious. **

**"Mr. Potter, what is it?" Professor McGonagall asks. **

**"I'm a bit worried about Ron. Professor Trelawney told Ron that he was going to suffer great tragedy, and I know Divination isn't the most honest subject, but I can't help but wonder if she's making it up or telling the truth, because I know Malfoy made a threat against Ron's parents, and if anything happened to them that'd be a terrible tragedy. So I was wondering what you thought." Harry says. **

**"I think we should see the Headmaster, she's gone a bit too far now." Professor McGonagall says. "Come, Potter." She started to lead him to the Headmaster's office. "Oh, Potter, I wanted you to think about the keeper position. We need a good keeper. Somebody who has too much energy, using it terribly wrong, could do well for one. Don't you agree one needs a lot of determination to be keeper?" Professor McGonagall asks. **

**"Yes, his brothers and I wanted him to try out, but he said he lost privileges, including even going to watch the matches, so he can't very well play, could he?" Harry asks. **

**"Yes, but don't tell him. We want him to stop fighting first." Professor McGonagall says. **

**"He hasn't fought with him at all today. They actually haven't spoken to each other." Harry says. **

**"That's good then." Professor McGonagall says. She gave the password for the gargoyle to spring aside and they went up the marble staircase to Dumbledore's office. She knocked before entering. **

**Professor Dumbledore looked up from his paper work and smiled at them. He must've known Harry wasn't in trouble. **

**"Mr. Potter, Professor McGonagall, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Professor Dumbledore asks. **

**"I think you ought to have a chat with Professor Trelawney. Why don't you tell Professor Dumbledore what you told me?" Professor McGonagall asks Harry. **

** "Well, Professor Trelawney told Ron that soon he'd suffer great tragedy. I don't really believe she knows anything…" Harry quickly added, "I mean all the time, because she predicts my death every year. Ron and I have gotten passing marks for making up ways I'm going to be killed. The thing is, Malfoy threatened his parents on the train, and I know it would be a horrible tragedy if his parents were to be killed, and I'm just wondering if Professor Trelawney's actually telling the truth or trying to get Ron to pay attention, but we had just walked in when she said that, and he hadn't even started to joke for her to say something like that."**

** "I'll talk to her at dinner." Professor Dumbledore says.**

** "Professor, do you think she was making it up?" Harry asks.**

** "I don't know, Harry. I will ask her." Professor Dumbledore says.**

** "Thanks." Harry says.**


	10. Quidditch And Girls

Chapter Nine

Quidditch and Girls

Author's Note: Remember this is PG-13, mainly for offensive language. 

The next morning, Ron was gone before Harry was awake. Harry assumed that Ron had another detention, but was corrected, when he saw Hermione cursing under her breath as she wrote an essay. Harry walked over to her cautiously. Harry knew better to disrupt Hermione if she was studying, but thought there was something on her mind, and he hoped he was right, because if her Arithmancy homework was really hard, and he disrupted her, there'd be hell to pay. He took a seat carefully, and subtly across from Hermione.

"Hermione? Is now a bad time?" Harry asked daringly.

Hermione put down her quill and rubbed her temple. She looked up at him and was about to say something for disrupting her, but she saw the anxiety in his eyes. Hermione thought maybe he had had another nightmare, so she looked expectantly at him for him to go on.

"I was wondering why you were cursing under your breath… I wasn't sure if something was on your mind, or if your homework was really difficult." Harry says.

Hermione let out an irritated sigh before answering him. "Guess where Ron is right now."

"Serving a detention?" Harry asks.

"No, Madam Pomfrey excused him from detentions. So rather than doing something more constructive like his potions essay, he went down to the library." Hermione says.

"You go there all the time." Harry says.

"Yes, but Ron didn't go to study. He went to meet Padma Patil there. Honestly, he thinks the library is a good place to make out. Madam Pince should know better than to trust Ron, a boy who never reads in the library with Padma. I hope they get caught." Hermione says.

"They were making out in the library?" Harry asks in disbelief.

"Harry, they were at the far back table. Out of Madam Pince's ear and eyeshot, Ron's not in the library to read or do anything that's good. Where would you go to snog?" Hermione asks.

Harry was taken back. "I wouldn't snog with anybody, especially not in the library. I'm sure the last thing Ron is doing is snogging. I think Padma's better than that, and I'm sure Ron's learned his lesson. Besides, wouldn't he bring her here first?" Harry asks.

"Go get your invisibility cloak, and we'll find out who's right and who's wrong." Hermione says slamming her Arithmancy book shut.

Harry was surprised at Hermione, but as he was also curious, he did get the Invisibility cloak. They entered the library and found their way to the back, invisibly. To their surprise, Ron and Padma were indeed working. Although, Padma had found his lap more comfortable then the seat, they were not kissing. Ron was looking from his astronomy chart to a piece of parchment looking frustrated, but concentrating. Ron turned a page in his Astronomy book and read softly, but aloud for Padma to hear it.

"The prominent asterism called the "Water Jar" (or "Urn") of Aquarius, the Water Bearer, is in the middle of the picture and is made of a triangle of stars with another star in the center." Ron says. 

Ron looks back at his parchment. He read his questions he had to answer. "Name the three stars that make up the triangle. Name whether they're the alpha, beta, or gamma Aquarii, and name the center star." Ron says.

"Okay let's start with the center star, what is that?" Padma asks.

"The water jar." Ron answers, writing it down. Padma does the same.

"Now which is the brightest star, or the alpha." Padma asks.

"I don't know. That one looks like the brightest, but this one does too." Ron says frustratingly.

"It's not your eyes, they're tied for the brightest stars in the picture, but Professor Sinistra says this is the alpha one." Padma says pointing to a star.

"Which one is it?" Ron asks.

"We just read the chapter. It's immediately to the right of the water jar, just to the right of the center. It's Aquarius' Alpha star." Padma says.

"Sadalmelik?" Ron asks.

"Right." Padma says. They both write it down. They label their constellations.

"Now this one, which is tied as the brightest star, that's labeled the Beta star, is?" Padma asks pointing to the star on the constellation map.

"I don't know." Ron says.

"Yes you do. Remember? The other bright star is just below center near the right-hand edge of the picture. What is it?" Padma asks.

"Sadalsuud?" Ron asks.

"See, you do know it." Padma says rubbing his knee before they both write it down and label their constellation maps.

"Finally, what's the lower right star of the water jar? Gamma Aquarii?" Padma asks.

"Sadachbia?" Ron asks.

"Exactly." Padma says. They both finish writing and labeling their constellations.

"You said you weren't any good at this." Padma says rolling her eyes.

"They were good guesses. I only knew that all of them started with Sada something. I won't remember them, besides Professor Sinistra won't repeat the book like you do, and she won't point to where the stars are. I'm pretty much hopeless in this area." Ron says.

"I'll help you. It's hard, but you knew the names, without second guessing yourself, which is a lot more than some people can do. I'm sure if you ask Professor Sinistra, she might give you some help. Her job after all, is to teach. You have learned the material, but you learn it differently. As long as you know it, I'm sure she won't have a problem with it. Stay after tonight. We'll be there until two in the morning anyway. I'm sure if you ask, she'll be glad to give you hints. I'll even tell her for you." Padma says.

"Thanks, but no thanks. She'll say no. Everybody will think it's an unfair advantage." Ron says.

"Yes, but it would be their fault for not asking. It won't hurt you to ask Ron. Look, I have to go get my books for this morning's lessons. I'll meet you here at lunch, all right? We'll concentrate on Aries, then." Padma says.

"Well as long as you explain it, I won't complain." Ron says packing up his stuff.

"By the way, what sign are you?" Padma asks.

"Pisces, March 1st." Ron explains. "How about you?"

"I'm a Gemini, May twenty-fifth." Padma says.

"Ah, twins." Ron says.

"Yea. Well, I'd better be going, I'll meet you here at lunch break." Padma says.

Ron kisses her before she leaves. He follows her out and goes upstairs to the Gryffindor Common Room. He went up the stairs into the boys' dormitory. Dean, Seamus, and Neville were still at breakfast. Ron assumed Harry went down too, but was corrected when he entered the dormitory with something behind his back.

"Hey Harry, where were you? What are you hiding?" Ron asks.

"Oh, good. I was afraid the others would be here." Harry says shoving the invisibility cloak back into his trunk.

"Were you spying on me in the library?" Ron asks.

"No, I lent it to Hermione, she just gave it back to me." Harry lies.

"You're lying, but what did Hermione use it for?" Ron asks.

"Fine, we snuck down to the library. Hermione said you were snogging with Padma, and I said you weren't. She said there was only one way of finding out, so we got my invisibility cloak and went down to the library." Harry explains.

"So you were right. I wasn't snogging with her in the library." Ron says.

"I know. You were getting help on Astrology." Harry says.

"Was Hermione shocked?" Ron asks.

"She was mostly complaining about how Padma couldn't sit on a chair." Harry says in a low voice.

Ron grinned and rolled his eyes.

Classes sailed along calmly; Padma continued to help Ron with Astrology in the library. On Friday night, Padma even brought Ron into the Ravenclaw common room, and they made out while everybody was having dinner. When everybody came back, they continued labeling the constellation maps. 

"What's the Alpha star of Capricornus?" Padma asks Ron pointing to the brightest star still waiting to be labeled on the map.

"Algedi?" Ron answers unsurely.

"Right." Padma says.

"Working hard?" A voice from behind them asks. It wasn't the voice of Toby or Tabitha, who had disrupted them when they saw Ron in their common room. It wasn't even the voice of Sabrina, but it was the voice of a professor. The head of Ravenclaw house, Professor Sinistra was behind them.

Padma looked up at her head of house, not frightened or surprised. She smiled at Professor Sinistra. "Yes professor, I'm helping Ron with his homework. The prefects are going to change the password when he leaves." Padma assures her.

"Mr. Weasley, may I see what you've done?" Professor Sinistra asks.

Ron hands her his homework.

"Now I'm impressed. All these answers are right." Professor Sinistra says.

"Padma's been helping me, Professor. She's really smart." Ron explains.

Padma blushed, while Professor Sinistra nodded as she looked over an essay.

"Yes, Ms. Patil is indeed very bright. However, I am very curious as to how you can answer these questions with Ms. Patil with your textbook closed, but how you can't answer them without referring to your textbook in my lesson." Professor Sinistra says.

"Professor, he can locate the constellation, but he has trouble identifying the stars, as in their names and whether they're alpha, beta, gamma, or delta. However, if he knows which star you want him to identify, he'll remember the name." Padma explains.

"Demonstrate with the delta star of Capricornus." Professor Sinistra says.

"The star at the upper left corner is the Water Goat's Tail. What is the star called at the left end?" Padma asks.

Ron finds the star on the constellation and thinks for a second, before he answers, "Deneb Algedi."

Professor Sinistra was taken back. "All you had to do was refresh his memory with a sentence out of the book?" Professor Sinistra asks.

"I was just giving him a hint Professor." Padma explains.

"Mr. Weasley, I want Ms. Patil to keep tutoring you for my lessons. I'll revise some of the questions I ask to help you out. As long as you learn." Professor Sinistra says.

"Thanks." Ron says.

"Would you mind tutoring him?" Professor Sinistra asks.

"Not at all." Padma says.

"Keep up the great work." Professor Sinistra says before leaving.

"Good, now I have another reason to see you." Ron says smiling. He kisses her.

The next morning, Harry shook Ron awake. "Ron, wake up!" Harry whispers.

Ron got up and saw it was eight o'clock. "Harry its Saturday, go away, won't you?" Ron asks.

Harry pulled Ron out of bed, and he fell onto the floor.

"I'm up." Ron says irritated.

After he dressed in his robes he went downstairs to find Harry talking to the twins.

"What is it?" Ron asks.

"We want you to be our keeper. Professor McGonagall said you could play. She thinks you could use your energy for that. Tryouts are this morning. There are a couple of sixth years, a few fourth years, a couple of third years, and pretty much every second year trying out. Dean, Seamus, and Neville aren't awake, and none of the fifth year girls are trying out. Ron, you could make it as a keeper, we know you could. Madam Hooch is selecting though. Angelina, Katie, and Alicia are all out there now putting the Quaffle past the people who are trying out. We're going out there now to show them that they might not want to risk getting hit with a bludger. So are you going to tryout or what?" Fred asks.

"Yes, do I use a school broom?" Ron asks.

"Yes. They're probably better than the one you got at home." George says.

"All right." Ron says.

They walked out to the Quidditch field to find a line of Gryffindors with school brooms in their hands waiting to try out. A second year was trying out now, but he had yet to stop one of the girls' techniques in getting the Quaffle past him. Madam Hooch told him to come down, not even having the twins go up with the bludgers.

Ron was last to tryout, and Harry and him talked and watched everybody tryout. The second years weren't good at all. Fred and George didn't have to go up in the air and scare them with bludgers; they couldn't stop the Quaffle even without a distraction. It was good for the team to have experienced players. The girls as well as the twins were in their seventh year, and they were very smart about the game. The sixth years were pretty good, but they still dropped half of them, because of bludgers. The third and fourth years weren't good at all the most one of them caught was two out of ten. One of the sixth years had stopped them from scoring six times, and he would probably make the keeper, if Ron didn't catch more than six, and he was sure he wouldn't.

He flew up into the air on the school broom. He flew in front of the hoops warming up before he started. The girls tossed the Quaffle back and forth as they flew towards him. Angelina flew high above him, Alicia flew below him, and Katie flew between them, but behind them. Angelina flew left with the Quaffle, while Alicia flew right. Angelina went to pass the Quaffle to Alicia, but instead through it toward the post, but Ron had flown there and caught the Quaffle first, seeing the strategy done from the ground. He knew what they were doing. Everybody below, including Harry, and the people flying were shocked that he blocked it. Not only was it the first Quaffle, and none of the people who tried out caught the first one thrown at them, but also he had blocked one of their most confusing strategies, when most keepers couldn't. Not even Oliver Wood had been able to block that strategy.

Angelina took the Quaffle from Ron. They flew halfway down to the other side of the pitch and whispered their next strategy.

Angelina passed the Quaffle to Katie. Katie threw it to Alicia. They made a V in the shape of how they were flying. Katie was in front, while Alicia and Angelina were in back avoiding a bludger the twins were now pelting.

The girls kept passing the Quaffle back and forth to each other, and Ron had no clue as to which one was going to throw the Quaffle and where. Ron watched them carefully, and ducked to avoid a bludger. George flew in front of him blocking his view when one of the girls threw the Quaffle. He saw the Quaffle flying toward the right hoop and quickly dove in front of it, smacking it back in the air, away from the post and to Alicia with his broom. Those were the two hardest strategies the girls had.

They did the first strategy again, but they had Katie throw it, and Ron stopped it. They did it again with Angelina throwing it again (they assumed Ron would figure to block Alicia). They had Katie throw it in again, but still he blocked it. When Alicia went to throw it, a bludger came right at Ron's head, but he laid himself flat against the broomstick and caught the Quaffle.

They did four easier plays, one where Angelina passed the Quaffle to Katie behind her and she tried to throw it in, but to no success as Ron had stopped her.

Finally, the tenth Quaffle, and Ron had not let them put one past him. Madam Hooch was very impressed, and nobody could argue with Ron being keeper. The problem was that Ron wasn't sure he wanted to be.

"I don't know Harry, Fred and George will probably let the bludgers get me." Ron says.

"No, because then the other team's chasers would be able to put Quaffles past you, causing them to score points. Fred and George wouldn't risk losing." Harry says.

"The snitch would make up for it, you've only missed one, and that wasn't even your fault!" Ron says.

The twins and the girls all walked over to Harry and Ron, all of whom except Harry were sweating.

"Ron, you were better than Oliver, he could never stop that move." Katie says.

"How did you know that Angelina was going to throw it through the hoop and not to me?" Alicia asks.

"I was the last person to tryout. You used that strategy on everybody, but nobody noticed and so they thought Angelina would throw it to you, causing them to miss it." Ron says.

"He's brilliant at strategies." George says.

"The only thing he's brilliant at." Fred teases.

"Fred, tell him he has to play keeper." Harry says.

"He doesn't have a choice. Why wouldn't you want to play anyway?" Fred asks Ron.

"He thinks you'll let a bludger knock him out, or you'll hit one his way." Harry says.

"And let the other team win the game?" George asks.

"I think you hit him in the head with a bludger, but I don't recall seeing it." Fred says.

"Harry could catch the snitch and make up for any points they did score." Ron says.

"Good point." Fred says grinning.

Angelina smacks him. "Stop! We need him to be on the team and _unhurt_! He's the best keeper we could hope for." Angelina says.

"I know, I was just teasing. Besides, if me or George did let anything happen to Ron, my mum would come to Hogwarts and make sure we didn't." Fred says.

"Oh, never mind, I want to see that!" Angelina says grinning.

"Whoever's captain, needs to make sure you keep that sixth year as a reserve. I'm threatened with suspension, and McGonagall would kick me off the team, not to mention the twins accidentally missing a bludger or hitting it the wrong way." Ron says.

"We'll keep him, but you're our keeper, and Fred and George will not hurt you." Alicia assures him.

"And if McGonagall sees you play, there's no way she'll suspend you." Harry adds.

"And you'll be sure to stay out of trouble because we'll be practicing three days a week." Angelina says.

"You're the captain?" Fred asks.

"No, but still we ought to have a practice three days a week. I'm not sure whether it's Alicia, Katie, and I who have lost touch since we had that year off or whether Ron's just a really good keeper, and either way we need to challenge ourselves and Ron. This is our last year, so we ought to win the Quidditch Cup!" Angelina says.

"Who's the captain?" George asks.

"Well, it's our last year, and as we won't be here next year, they'd have to have a new keeper then, so we should have Harry or Ron be the captain. That's just my opinion." Angelina says.

"That makes sense. I mean, we won't fight over it, we'd joke around too much, and one of us couldn't be it without the other." Fred says.

"I agree." George says.

"So one of you." Alicia says.

"Just let us know." Katie says.

"Harry. He's been on the team five years, well four due to last year, but still. Harry." Ron says.

"No, I don't want to be captain!" Harry says.

"Well you are." Ron says.

"No, you should be captain, your good with strategies. You can relate more to the game than I can; I just look for the snitch the whole time. I say we should keep the keeper as the captain." Harry says.

"Harry doesn't want to be captain, so you girls fight it out." Ron says.

"No, actually, I agree with Harry. Your brothers said your brilliant with strategies." Angelina says.

"It's your last year." Ron says.

"Yes, which means the five of us won't have the time or patience to be captain because of the N.E.W.T.S and loads of homework. It's your first year now." Angelina says.

"Exactly why I shouldn't be captain, I haven't even played one game yet!" Ron says. "Harry, be captain, you've been on this team since your first year!"

"No, I want you to be captain, because you're good at strategies, you could help the girls. I don't need anymore responsibility right now." Harry says.

"Congratulations, captain." Fred says.

"Yea, congratulations, Ron. So when's practice?" George asks.

"See I don't know this stuff, Harry, when's next practice?" Ron asks.

"Whenever you call it. Reserve the field." Harry says.

"How about in a week? The other houses got this afternoon and tomorrow for tryouts. I really don't have time during the week with lessons and loads of homework." Alicia says.

"So we only practice on weekends?" Ron asks.

"Make it Saturdays, all day. We're going to need at least twelve hours a week. Sundays are when I do Friday's homework, so I need all day for that." Katie says.

"Right, and I reserve the field with who?" Ron asks.

"Madam Hooch. Ask her on Monday." Katie says.

"All right, Ron's going to lead us to victory! WOO HOO!" Alicia screams excitedly.

George laughs, while the others stare at her.

"Alicia, you had a bit too much sugar this morning." Katie says.

"How else do you expect anybody to be up this early on a Saturday? Them damn Slytherins always get to tryout during the afternoon." George says.

"Okay, then practice is next Saturday, I'll let you know what time, once I find out." Ron says. He starts to leave.

"Whoa, what's the rush?" Fred asks.

"I've got loads of homework, and I can't afford not to do it." Ron says. With that said he left the locker rooms.

Harry ran after him. "Hey, you did most of your homework already." Harry says.

"I have to study. Professor Sinistra is having somebody tutor me." Ron says.

"I wonder who that somebody could be… Padma?" Harry asks sarcastically.

"Yes, she's brilliant at Astrology." Ron says.

"Hermione's brilliant at every subject, why not have her tutor you? She's in the same house." Harry says.

"Professor Sinistra asked Padma to tutor me, not Hermione." Ron says.

"Congratulations on captain." Harry says.

"Why'd you make me captain? I could lead this team to lose, because I might not know what I'm doing. Then _everybody_ would hate me." Ron says.

"Do you remember in our first year when I found that mirror?" Harry asks.

"Yes, what about it?" Ron asks.

"It's called the mirror of Erised, which spelled backwards is desire. Professor Dumbledore said that it shows our deepest desire, and I remember you said you saw yourself as Head Boy and Quidditch Captain. You deserve to be Quidditch Captain." Harry says.

"Harry, that was years ago. I appreciate you thinking of what I would want, but honestly I don't know how to be a captain. After everything that's passed I know I don't deserve anything." Ron says.

"You do. You'll be a great captain, and you're a damn good keeper! Besides, the girls couldn't score against you, and you saw how they scored past all those other people. Help them out." Harry says.

Ron sighs, "I'll try."

Later that afternoon, Harry found Hermione in the library. She was at a table that had a bookcase separating her and the table where Padma and Ron were at studying.

She looked up every once in a while to see if they were doing anything, but then returned to cursing Ron's name under her breath as she studied.

Harry sat down next to her with his books of homework. "What's wrong now?" Harry asks.

"Professor Sinistra has Padma tutoring Ron in Astrology. They're not even in the same houses. I could've helped him just fine. I always get top marks. I can't believe she didn't see what they're really up to!" Hermione whispers as she writes an essay for Professor Binns' class.

"Oh, and what, may I ask are they _really_ up to?"

"Look what Padma's sitting on." Hermione whispers.

Harry didn't even need to look, to know she was sitting on Ron's lap.

"So? She was there yesterday." Harry says.

"Uh huh, now look where Ron's left hand is." Hermione whispers.

Harry squinted through the space between the books and the top of a shelf, and looked away finding Ron's hand, up Padma's skirt.

"That's what I thought." Hermione whispers in an 'I told you so,' way.

"Did Ron tell you he made the team?" Harry asks.

"No, he walked past me with Padma. Besides, it's not my business anyway." Hermione says.

Harry could see tears in her eyes as she pulled her hair out of her face. "Hermione, come back to the common room with me, please?" Harry asks.

Hermione packed up her books and followed Harry out of the common room.

Once in the common room, they found it deserted as everybody was roaming the castle, or studying in their dorms, or outside watching tryouts for other houses. "Hermione, what are you really upset about?" Harry asks.

"Ron wants me to stay out of his business, but I'm his friend, I used to think I was one of his best friends, but he's pushing me away! I'm just starting to wonder whether he was really my friend at all. I mean think about it, he hated me from day one, and he said it's not a wonder I don't have any friends. In third year we stopped talking because all we did was fight, and last year, when you weren't talking to him, he wouldn't talk to me." Hermione says wiping away her tears.

"Hermione, in second year, he coughed up slugs trying to get revenge on Malfoy for calling you a mudblood." Harry says.

"He coughed up slugs trying to get revenge on Malfoy. That's all it was." Hermione cries.

"Hermione, when you were petrified, do you know how miserable he was? As soon as Dumbledore said the Mandrake Potion was being given out, he was so happy to find you were all right. He cares about you Hermione, but third year was so confusing because of 'snuffles,' and he thought you didn't care about him. Do you know how embarrassed he was to bring that rat to school, and then he thinks the only pet he has is dead. He feels low enough not having the best of things, but not having anything is even worse, and that's why he flipped out at you, well that and he was frustrated when you wouldn't explain your schedule. Last year, he did talk to you. He just thought you were better friends with me than with him, and he didn't want to be rejected Hermione, so he stayed with his brothers. Besides, when we weren't speaking and Malfoy's curse bounced off on you, did you hear him curse at Snape when he said that there wasn't a difference?" Harry asks.

"Well, what's wrong with him lately? He won't even talk to me!" Hermione says.

"I don't know Hermione, I'll find out for you though." Harry says.

"Find out why his hand was where it was as well." Hermione says.

"No!" Harry says quickly.

"So who's captain?" Hermione asks changing the subject.

"Ron is." Harry says.

"How did that happen?" Hermione asks.

"The seventh years don't want it, I don't want to be captain, and Ron's really good at strategies. The girls didn't put the Quaffle past him once!" Harry says.

"Impressive." Hermione says.

"It is for him." Harry says.

Lessons began again on Monday. Harry talked to Professor McGonagall before class started.

"Professor, what did Professor Trelawney say to Professor Dumbledore?" Harry asks.

"She says she never lies." Professor McGonagall says rolling her eyes. "He's not in any danger."

Meanwhile, Ron was spending his lunch and dinner breaks with Padma in her common room. On Wednesday night, Toby entered the common room, not surprised to see Ron there.

"Studying hard?" Toby asks.

"Yes." Ron says not even looking up.

"Well, that's a shame, because I have to tell you something." Toby says.

Ron looks up. "What's that?" Ron asks.

"I made the Quidditch Team. I'm Chaser, and not only that, they elected me keeper, because I'm the wisest of the lot." Toby says.

"Really? Congratulations!" Ron says.

"Thanks. Did you try out for Gryffindor?" Toby asks.

"Yea, I'm their keeper and I've been elected captain, because nobody wants anymore pressure than they already have." Ron says.

"Not even Harry Potter?" Toby asks.

"No, he says this way McGonagall can't suspend me. Besides, he says all he was supposed to worry about was catching the snitch. It makes no sense to me, he's been on the team since his first year." Ron says shaking his head.

"Yea, Cho didn't want to be captain either. So it seems like all the captains are fifth years." Toby says.

"Why? Who are the captains for Hufflepuff and Slytherin?" Ron asks.

"The captain for Hufflepuff is Justin Finch-Fletchley. He's a seeker. As for Slytherin, Malfoy's captain, although we all know he bought that title. Crabbe and Goyle are chasers on the team now." Toby says.

"How'd you find this out?" Ron asks.

"Justin and I have Charms together, he told me. As for Slytherin, we had tryouts after them, and I saw the results." Toby says.

"As long as Slytherin doesn't win the house cup, I wouldn't mind if you or Justin took the cup, but it would be nice if Gryffindor won." Ron says.

"Yea, I agree, as long as Malfoy's name is not on that cup, I don't care either, but of course we're going to work for it." Toby says.

Padma cleared her throat impatiently.

"Oh, well I have to study." Ron says.

"Of course you do. Padma, are you going to give him a detention if he doesn't?" Toby teases.

Ron throws a pillow at Toby, and Toby runs up the stairs to his dorm.

Ron turns to Padma. "I'm sorry for getting distracted." Ron says. He kisses her neck, and she can't help but smile.

"You're forgiven." Padma says.

An hour later, Ron left for bed. He found Harry in the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Harry! Guess what!" Ron says.

"Not now, I have to finish my paper for Astrology." Harry says.

"You can copy mine," Ron says digging it out of his bag. He throws it on the table for Harry to look at. "But I have to tell you what I found out!"

"What did you find, _besides_ the right answers?" Harry asks. Then he quickly corrects himself, "If it has anything to do with Padma, please don't tell me." Harry says.

"No, it's not about her! It's about Quidditch." Ron says.

Harry put his quill down and looked up. This was something that could distract any teenage wizard.

"Malfoy's captain." Ron says.

Harry looked shock, but then understood, as Malfoy bought his way on the team. He wondered if he bought better broomsticks to become captain.

"I can understand that. Did he buy the team better brooms then?" Harry jokes.

"I don't know, maybe, but Crabbe and Goyle are on the team as chasers." Ron says.

"I'd hate to be keeper." Harry says.

"Oh, and Justin Finch-Fletchley is Hufflepuff's seeker and captain." Ron says. "So I don't think you'll have any problems catching the snitch, unless Fudge brings Dementors back, or unless you get distracted with Cho." Ron adds in a softer voice, with a mischievous grin on his face.

Harry punches Ron in the arm and rolls his eyes. "Who is Ravenclaw's captain then?" Harry asks, realizing he never mentioned it.

"Toby, but he's a chaser." Ron assures Harry.

"So basically, I'm going to have fun this year, while you're dealing with all the hard work." Harry says.

"No, see as captain, I'm going to make sure that Fred and George distract Crabbe and Goyle, so they don't kill the girls or me. As for the other chasers, none of them compare to the girls, with the exception of Toby, but as long as you get the snitch, that's all that matters." Ron says.

The portrait swung open letting Hermione in. She walked over to the two boys and dropped her bag.

"Hello." Hermione says to the two of them.

"Hey, where have you been?" Ron asks.

"The library. What about you?" Hermione says.

"Ravenclaw Tower." Ron answers.

"What?" Hermione asks.

"I was studying with Padma, calm down Hermione." Ron says rolling his eyes.

"You are going way too far!" Hermione yells.

"I'm sorry? Professor Sinistra wants Padma to tutor me Hermione. It's a bit distracting in the library with you cursing my name, which by the way we could hear!" Ron says angrily.

"Stop! Ron, Hermione, knock it off! You're going to end up not talking to each other, over nothing." Harry says.

They didn't seem to hear him.

"Yes, and it's very distracting when you to are talking about stars, with you complaining, and even more distracting, when I go to tell you to shut up, I find your hand somewhere it shouldn't be!" Hermione yells.

Ron was now extremely angry. He couldn't believe her. "One, she was helping me with my studies. There are other tables in the library that were far from us that you could've sat in rather than listen and watch us. Two, I told you to stay out of my business, why can't you listen? You're just jealous, because Professor Sinistra thinks there's somebody better than you in Astrology and asked them to help me!"

Hermione slapped Ron very hard across the face. He stumbled backwards in shock.

"Just leave me alone!" Ron yells. He ran up the stairs to the boys' dormitory.

"I think you've done more than enough, Hermione." Harry says.

She shook her head. "No, I have barely begun." Hermione says.

With that she started up the staircase, for the boys dormitory. She knocked on the door. 

"Ron, come out here right now!" Hermione yells.

"You must have a hearing problem, I said leave me alone!" Ron yelled from the other side of the door.

Hermione rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. She went to open the door, but it was locked. "Alohomora!" Hermione yells and the door unlocks. She opens it and walks in the boys dorm.

Seamus and Dean had been laughing at the two fighting as they played Exploding Snap, but now they were shocked. Neville had looked up from his Herbology book, surprised as well. Harry walked in, not wanting to miss anything. He knew his friends were deaf to him, but Hermione in their dormitory was something else. Ron sat up and looked with disbelief before laughing.

"Well, well, well, aren't you the little hypocrite? A prefect breaking rules, how ironic? Professor McGonagall would love to hear about this." Ron says grinning.

"She'd love to hear about what you did in the library as well." Hermione says.

"Fine, go bloody tell her, I don't care. As long as you leave." Ron says.

"No! I'm not leaving until we talk." Hermione says.

"Well, I'm not talking or listening." Ron says.

"Your right, you're not going to be talking, but you will listen to me, because until you do, I'm not leaving." Hermione says.

"Damn, looks like I'm not getting any sleep tonight." Ron says miserably.

"What is your problem? You're almost as bad as Malfoy the way you're acting!" Hermione says.

"My problem is you! You're always in my business all the time! You're acting as bossy as Percy, but no wait, you're not acting!" Ron says.

"Oh so this is about me being a prefect, is it?" Hermione yells.

"No, it's about you being in my damn business." Ron yells.

"Ron, I'm your friend, and as your friend I like to know what's going on, because friends tell each other everything, and when they don't they have to find out!" Hermione says.

"Yes, well friends also give each other space and privacy, something you're completely not doing. So maybe we've made it clear that we're not friends." Ron says.

"What? Ron, I never said I didn't want to be friends with you. There is obviously some problem, and that's what I'm trying to solve, but you're not helping." Hermione says. She was still yelling and tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

"It's obvious what the problem is Hermione! You don't like the fact that I'm seeing Padma, and you're acting like a real bitch, because you're jealous!" Ron says.

"I can't believe how stupid you are, I don't know why I chose to be friends with somebody as dumb as you! You know what, I don't want to be friends with you anymore! In fact, I don't want to talk to you again! I'm sure you'll benefit from this, because you won't have to get me a birthday present, not that you could afford to buy anything anyway!" Hermione yells.

Ron's face turned from scarlet with fury to pink with humiliation. In a much calmer tone, he said, "The door is that way, don't let it hit your ass on the way out."

Hermione marched out of the dorm, not feeling guilty about what she said until she got outside the dorm. She walked down the stairs into the common room and sat down at the table. She had just killed their friendship. She insulted him by calling him poor and stupid. 

On the other hand, he had called her a bitch, bossy, and jealous. How cruel and ludicrous of him! She wasn't jealous of Padma. No, that was absurd!

Ron cried himself to sleep that night silently. None of the boys dared talk to him. They knew Hermione had gone way too far. They'd be there for him, if he wanted to talk, but he didn't, and everybody knew that. Harry who had heard everything knew Ron was upset and didn't bother him. Harry was furious with Hermione, but knew that deep down her guilt was getting to her. Harry wondered how he could be a friend with both Ron and Hermione, when they hated each other. It wasn't possible in third year. Hermione claimed Harry was siding with Ron, and when Ron wasn't talking to Harry, it was true Hermione and Ron weren't the best of friends.

Harry got up, deciding he needed to talk to someone. He wanted to talk to Hagrid; he was always there for them, except now he was somewhere else, in the mountains, Harry guessed, but he wasn't sure. He decided he needed to talk to Sirius, so he went to the Owlery and sent Hedwig with a letter. 

Hedwig returned early the next morning. Harry took Sirius' letter and read it. It told Harry to come downstairs to the common room and to bring his Invisibility Cloak with him. Harry dressed in his pajamas and went downstairs. He found Sirius in Padfoot's form. Harry covered the dog with his cloak, and felt Sirius hug him tightly. Harry knew he had transformed.

"How have you been?" Sirius asks in a whisper.

"I've been better to be honest with you. I didn't mean for you to drop whatever you were doing to come here. I swore I wrote when you get a chance and feel like it try and talk to me. I meant mostly through the fire, or you could've just said owl me, but I didn't mean for…" Sirius cut off Harry.

"I'm here because you need to talk. What's going on?" Sirius asks.

"The truth is I'm fine, but Ron and Hermione hate each other, and I'm afraid I'm going to lose both my friends, by just being friends with them. If I'm friends with Hermione, Ron will say I'm siding with her, and if I'm friends with Ron, she'll say I'm siding with him. It's been done before, only Hermione said that though, and I don't want to lose my friendship with her. I thought maybe I could be nicer to her, but what about my friendship with Ron? He'll think I'm taking sides. We're on the Quidditch team, and I'm afraid one of them will hate me. It's one thing for them to hate each other, but another for them to hate me! I mean Ron stopped talking to me for a month, and it was one of the most miserable of my life, but Hermione's always been there for me, I can't not be there for her." Harry says.

Harry realized he was probably boring Sirius. "Are you still here, or did I bore you to leave?" Harry asks.

There was no answer.

Harry sighed sadly, before he heard a snigger.

"Harry, of course I'm still here. When they wake up, tell them you're friends with both of them, and just because they can't act their age around each other, doesn't mean they should ruin friendships with you." Sirius says.

"Yea, but I know Ron, he'll say do whatever you want. He's so careless anymore." Harry says.

"Then maybe you shouldn't be friends with him. If he's so uncaring that he doesn't even care about you, then he obviously isn't a friend, is he? Something's up with Ron, and whether it be hormones, girls, or just an attitude it has to be changed. Until it is, I can't say I want you hanging around with him." Sirius says.

"You can't be serious!" Harry says.

"That's my name, don't wear it out." Sirius says with a laugh.

"You spent one too many years in Azkaban, because you've gone mad. End my friendship with Ron? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! I appreciate you coming here to talk to me, but you can't tell me who I can and can't be friends with." Harry says.

"He's going to get you into trouble Harry, and you don't need anymore. Watch yourself." Sirius says. He changes back into a dog and escapes Harry's invisibility cloak. Harry picks it up.

Sirius left the common room in his Animagus form.

Sirius didn't leave the castle, however. Ron found that out on his way to the Ravenclaw tower. He saw Sirius in his Animagus form in a classroom and entered wondering what he was doing there. Sirius locked the door behind Ron after he changed into his human form.

"Hey Sirius, what are you doing here?" Ron asks.

"I want you to stay away from Harry." Sirius says.

"You can't be serious… I mean you're joking, right?" Ron asks.

"No, I don't want you around him. I mean it. I don't know what you're going through, but you're getting yourself into trouble, and Harry will end up following you there, only trouble for him could mean death!" Sirius says.

"You know you should talk to Harry about this. I'd thought you'd know your Godson better than to doubt his judgment. He's not like me, all right? Harry's my best friend, I'm not going to kill the only friendship I have." Ron says.

Sirius grabbed Ron's wrist tightly. "Ron, you got in a fight in Diagon Alley, he got in trouble for just being there. Harry's really upset about you and Hermione having another conflict. He's not sure if he can still be a friend to both of you. You two are adding too much weight on his shoulders. He's already got the Wizarding World's fate, Cedric's death, and his own parents' death on his shoulders. The last thing he needs is having to choose sides. Do him a favor. Tell him to side with Hermione. She doesn't have any other friends. You have that girl in Ravenclaw. Don't be even more selfish. Think about Harry and Hermione. Please, for Harry's safety, stay away from him." Sirius says.

Ron pushed Sirius' hand away and left angrily. 


	11. When Nothing Matters

**Chapter Ten **

**When Nothing Matters **

** Ron made his way up to Ravenclaw tower still thinking of Sirius' words. 'Do him a favor, don't be even more selfish, tell him to side with Hermione, at least you still have that girl in Ravenclaw.' Yes, he did have that girl in Ravenclaw, Padma. Ron had dated Padma for almost two weeks now, and not only was he happier for it, his marks in Astrology improved greatly. Ron would have to tell Harry to side with Hermione. He would be a friend to Harry, by not being a friend. Ron didn't know why he let Sirius get to him, he was used to ignoring everybody who was saying something Ron didn't want to hear, but some how, he had listened, and it sunk through. **

** Ron entered the Ravenclaw Common Room to see Padma looking fidgety. Ron went to kiss her as their way of greeting, but she pulled away. **

**"Ron, I need to talk to you. Sit down." Padma says softly. **

**"I think I'll stand. What is it?" Ron asks. **

**"Look, I like tutoring you in Astrology, but as for dating I think I've found somebody better, who's not at your speed. I'm sorry Ron, I'm just not that type of girl." Padma says. **

**"Not that type of girl? Padma, I've done nothing more than kiss you. If that was too much, I'm sorry, I won't do that then." Ron says. **

**"No, Ron, you went up my robes. I feel uncomfortable around you now. I'm not ready to have a relationship with someone like you. Besides, I don't want to get in trouble, and you here, is suspicious." Padma says. **

**Ron didn't say anything, as he thought a moment. He was in disbelief. He was hurt. He couldn't show her or anybody else the satisfaction though. So he ran a hand through his hair. **

**"You're right. I moved too fast, and I would never do anything to hurt you. I hope we can still be friends, because I really need somebody to help me in Astrology." Ron says. **

**"Well, I'll be more than happy to help you. I'm glad you're taking this so well. I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you." Padma says. **

**"Oh you didn't. You just surprised me. Thank you for being honest with me though, er, I guess I better go." Ron says. He forced a smile on his face to show he was all right, and then he left. **

**Ron walked back to the common room cursing himself in his head. 'Stupid fool, Hermione was right. She always is, why are you so stupid? How could you expect Padma to stay with somebody like you?' The words echoed in his head, 'someone like you.' Ron went up to his dormitory and wrote his thoughts down in his journal, as he always did. The last sentence of his entry was the following: _I won't let anybody hurt me again. _**

**Harry was in the common room with Hermione when Ron came back downstairs with his books. Harry stood up. "Ron, could you come here a second?" Harry asks. **

**"No." Ron answers coldly. **

**"Ron, grow up, will you. You're not going to listen to Harry, because he's standing next to me?" Hermione asks. **

**"Harry, look you'll have no problem with this, side with Hermione, because frankly she has no other friends, and she needs one, might as well be you." Ron says harshly and leaves the common room. **

**Ron had to say it meanly because if he didn't Harry might talk him into making up with Hermione, which wouldn't be too bad, and he'd try and talk Ron back into being friends with him, but in order to be a friend to Harry, Ron decided to follow Sirius' words and not be a friend to Harry. This was the stupidest decision he ever made and he decided not to follow anybody else's decisions but his own. This was the last one. **

**Ron felt that everything that he had was gone. He had no friends, his girlfriend dumped him, his parents weren't thrilled with him, but they were still there. Ron sighed; at least he had his family. Even if they didn't understand him, they loved him. Nobody understood him. Half the time he didn't understand himself. **

**Things went from bad to worse in only a few days' time. Parvati had spread the rumor about Ron being fast and said that _he_ dumped Padma, and Ron knew he wouldn't have a chance with any girl in fifth year now. Not to mention, Hermione was happier than ever. She had been receiving owls from Viktor Krum, her boyfriend from Bulgaria. She kept boasting about him to the other girls, but they were fascinated, and envious, but interested in her relationship with an International Quidditch star at the same time. Ron didn't know why he felt sick to his stomach every time he heard the name, he just felt ill. He was glad they weren't friends anymore, because otherwise Ron would've lost it after hearing about Viktor so much. **

**Ron had the twins inform Harry about their weekend Quidditch practices, and didn't speak to him at all during them. Ron had come up with a plan for the girls as he told them on the field. Harry was up in the air looking for the snitch that had been released, Fred and George were aiming beaters at each other, but Ron stayed on the ground with the girls. **

**"One of you should stay at the other end of the field. If all three of you are up on one side, whether you score or not, the other team's keeper will throw it down to their players, which will probably be on the other side. One of you should be down there to block them and steal the Quaffle when Fred and George hit a beater at the other team's chasers. Or if you're all down here when the other team's trying to score against me, which would be easier, flying all the way back to the other side, or throwing it to another of you who's already waiting for it?" Ron asks. **

**"That's not a half bad idea." Alicia says. **

**"It's a pretty good idea." Angelina adds. **

**"Let's try it." Katie says. **

**"Let's get Sean in the air too." Ron suggests. **

**"I'll get him." Alicia says running over to the stands where their reserve keeper sat. A sixth year boy, by the name of Sean came down to the field with his broomstick in his hand. **

**"Sean, you take the other post and stop them from scoring. When you throw it to one of them, throw it to whomever's farthest down the field toward me." Ron says. **

**"All right." Sean says. **

**They practiced, Fred and George were sending bludgers at everyone, and Katie would hang back towards Sean's side and wait for the Quaffle, which went sailing past Angelina and Alicia who were still on Ron's side. Angelina threw it toward the post farthest from Ron, but Ron flew quickly, even on a school broom, and blocked it. He sent it sailing to Alicia who was halfway down the field. Alicia tried sending it past Sean, but his broom blocked it. Katie caught it though and put it past him, as he wasn't expecting it. **

**The practices went well and soon enough, it was a week before their first match of the season. Their first match would be against Ravenclaw, but there was still a week before it, a week that definitely wasn't the best for Ron. **

**Ron had been concentrating only on Quidditch, forgetting his problems with the fifth year girls. He was reminded however when he ran into Tabitha Lovegood in the corridor. **

**"Hey Ron." Tabitha says. **

**"Hey Tabitha." Ron says wondering why she was talking to him, when every other fifth year girl wouldn't even stay a minute around him. **

**"I just wanted to say good luck on the Quidditch game." Tabitha says. **

**"Thank you Tabitha, it's nice to hear some nice words for once." Ron says. **

**"You mean girls still won't date you because of Padma?" Tabitha asks. **

**"Date me? They'd have to talk to me first." Ron says. **

**"That's horrible." Tabitha says. **

**"Tabitha, would you ever go out with someone like me? I mean that hypothetically." Ron says. **

**"Of course, why not? She spread a rumor that you dumped her, big deal. She told me that she dumped you, and guess who she dumped you for." Tabitha says. **

**"I don't know. Who?" Ron asks. **

**"Toby." Tabitha says. **

**Ron went to ask about Toby, when he looked up at Tabitha again. She is really sweet, and she's gorgeous. A thought hit him. **

**"Tabitha, would you go out with me? I… I mean if you're available, and if you want to…" Ron starts. **

**Tabitha smiled widely. "I'd love to." She said simply. **

**Over the course of the week, he spent some time with Tabitha in the library, helping her at Transfiguration, which he was secretly good at, while she helped him with Potions. She hated Snape, but she always had top marks in that class. **

**Ron also spent some time in the Ravenclaw common room with her. They made out in armchairs by the fire. One evening at dinner, Tabitha who was cuddled up on Ron's lap fell asleep on Ron, who also fell asleep with his arms wrapped around her. The fire was warm and they were completely relaxed. **

**However, this did not go well with Toby or Padma who walked in together. **

**"How could he go out with somebody else so quickly?" Padma asks in shock. She believed she had captured Ron's heart, and she was just going out with Toby to compare. She had planned on taking Ron back, so she had spread a rumor about him breaking her heart, but all girls didn't take the warning like she had wanted them to. **

**"What the hell is he doing with my sister?" Toby asks angrily. **

**Toby walks over to them and punches Ron in the face waking him up, and causing Tabitha to wake up unsure of what made Ron move so suddenly. **

**"What's…" Tabitha starts, but sees her brother, "Toby!" Tabitha yells. **

**Toby rips Tabitha off of Ron's lap. Ron gets up and starts to walk toward her to comfort her, but Toby grabs him by the arm, making Ron turn, and he punches him in the face, hard to the ground. Toby tackles him and starts punching him, but Ron punched him in the face, and rolled him off of him. He stood up, but as he started to walk away or turn back to yell at Toby, he hadn't made up his mind, Toby grabbed his leg and Ron fell face first on to the hard Ravenclaw floor. Padma screamed, while Tabitha tried to separate the two boys. **

**"Stop Toby!" Tabitha yells. **

**"What is going on here?" A voice of an adult rang through the room. Professor Sinistra had entered. **

**Toby stood up and helped Ron up. **

**"Mr. Weasley, didn't Professor Dumbledore say that you would be suspended if you fought again?" Professor Sinistra asks. **

**"With Malfoy… if I fought again with Malfoy, Professor." Ron says quickly. **

**"We weren't fighting Professor, we were just wrestling." Toby adds quickly. He knew the consequences for Ron, if he were to be suspended. **

**"Right, well Mr. Weasley, before anymore trouble arises, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave." Professor Sinistra says. **

**"Yes Professor." Ron says. **

**He casts a sorry look to Tabitha and an appreciative look to Toby before he leaves. **

**Ron entered the common room to see a mob of the Gryffindor students around the armchairs by the fireplace. Ron could hear somebody shout, "Will you sign this, please Mr. Krum?" Ron stopped dead. Krum was here. He wondered why? He thought it best to not even go near trouble. He started to head for the dorm, when Ginny stopped him. **

**"Hey Gin." Ron says. **

**"Have you been fighting again? McGonagall says you'll be suspended if you fight again. You haven't been suspended have you?" Ginny asks. **

**"I'll be suspended if I fight with Malfoy, but I wasn't fighting." Ron says. **

**"Then how did you get that bruise?" George asks. **

**"I tripped and fell?" Ron says sarcastically, trying to answer so that they would accept it and leave him alone. He started up the stairs. **

**"If you got a black eye from tripping and falling, then I'm Professor McGonagall." Fred yells up to Ron who was on the staircase. This was attracting people's attention. **

**"Why would McGonagall transfigure herself into an idiot?" Ron asks. **

**"Hey!" Fred yells. He chases Ron up the staircase. **

**Fred comes downstairs, once Ron sat against the door, keeping Fred out. **

**"I think somebody wants spiders all over his dorm again." George says. **

**"Those who share that dorm object." Dean says quickly. **

**Ron was upstairs writing in his journal when the door clicked open. Dean, Neville, Seamus, Harry, and… Krum entered. Dean, Seamus, and Neville seemed to be asking questions about Quidditch, while Harry remained silent. Harry and Viktor Krum walked over to Ron's bed. Harry pulls the curtains surrounding Ron's bed. Ron looks up. **

**"Can I help you?" Ron asks impatiently. **

**"Just thought I'd show you that he's back." Harry says. **

**"Welcome back." Ron says without looking up. **

**"I vas vondering vhy you are mad at Hermione and Harry." Viktor says. **

**"I'm not mad at them." Ron says. **

**"But you're not talking to them." Viktor says. **

**"I just asked Harry what he wanted." Ron says. **

**"You are mad because he sided with Hermione, no?" Viktor asks. **

**"I'm not mad at anybody." Ron says. **

**"Then why won't you talk to me?" Harry asks. **

**"I talk to you." Ron says. "See I just did." **

**"You know what I mean, Ron." Harry says. **

**"We're not friends anymore Harry." Ron says. **

**"Why not?" Harry asks. "Because you told me to side with Hermione?" **

**"No, because I want to be on my own for once." Ron lies. **

**"Ron that makes no sense." Harry says. **

**"Because I'm tired and you talking to me isn't going to let me sleep, therefore causing me to make less and less sense. So do you mind?" Ron asks. **

**Harry shook his head in defeat and lay down on his bed. Viktor didn't leave. **

**"Vhy are you mad at Hermione? She's very upset." Viktor says. **

**"Look it's really not your business, and like I told Harry, I'm tired. So the door's that way." Ron says pointing. **

**Viktor left Ron's bed, but did not leave the dorm. A sixth bed had been planted in their dormitory making Ron angrier than before. Ron didn't understand why Viktor Krum made him feel sick, but he always felt unpleasant around him. **

**The next day went fine up until a double potions lesson. Snape decided that Malfoy shouldn't have to sit next to Ron, leaving Ron free to sit with whomever he wanted. He chose to sit next to Neville, because usually nobody would partner him as Potions was his worst subject, but Ron figured he could be of some assistance. **

**Ron and Neville were taking down ingredients and notes they would need for the Aging potion they were making when Parvati slipped Ron a note. Professor Snape saw her pass it and walked up to Ron and stole the note from him, before he could read it. **

**"Well, well, well, this is interesting. I understand Ms. Patil why you had to ask him this during class, of course." Professor Snape says sarcastically. **

**"Ask me what?" Ron asks. **

**"Ms. Patil would like to know if you got that black eye from Mr. Lovegood after getting caught in a compromising situation with his sister." Professor Snape says. **

**"What?" Ron asks. **

**Professor Snape shows him the parchment. Ron read in horror. _Is it true that Tobias Lovegood gave you that black eye after catching you sleeping with his sister?_ Ron blinked in disbelief. **

**"No, that's not true!" Ron says to Parvati and Snape. **

**"How about I give you a truth potion to see if it's true?" Professor Snape asks. **

**"Please do, it'll prove that Padma's just spreading rumors." Ron says glaring at Parvati. **

**Professor Snape stopped smiling knowing Ron was telling the truth. "Copy the notes down." He snapped at Ron. **

**Ron continued to, still glaring at Parvati. **

**The lesson went by smoothly until they were stirring their potions. Neville's cauldron blew up. Ron could see tears of fear and humiliation fill Neville's eyes as Professor Snape walks up to him dangerously. **

**Professor Snape grabbed Neville's notebook and looked at Neville threateningly. "What part don't you understand? Can't you read your own scribble? It says take the cauldron off of the fire before adding the armadillo bile! What part of that don't you understand?" Professor Snape yells. **

**"You don't have to yell, he can hear you! Everybody in this room can hear you! He obviously knows he was supposed to take the cauldron off the fire, now… He made a mistake. Instead of wasting time humiliating him, why don't you just repair the cauldron like you always do for Goyle." Ron says. **

**Professor Snape turned to Ron with dangerous eyes. "MR. WEASLEY SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Snape yells. **

**"It wasn't open." Ron mutters. **

**Gryffindors gasped, while Slytherins laughed. They all knew he had gone overboard this time, and the Slytherins couldn't wait for Snape to humiliate him. **

**"Congratulations, Mr. Weasley you just earned yourself _another_ detention, and in addition to Mr. Longbottom's ten points from Gryffindor, you've just lost an additional sixty for your mouth." Professor Snape says. "You may all thank him later." He adds to the Gryffindors. **

**"Why can't they thank me now? You've wasted so much time humiliating people already, what could a little more distraction do?" Ron asks smartly. He was glad he didn't care about anybody but himself at the moment, otherwise he'd have to worry. **

**"Mr. Weasley, you're excused from this class." Professor Snape says. **

**"Is that a choice or an order, I'm just wondering?" Ron says grinning. **

**"GET OUT!" Professor Snape says. **

**"Gladly." Ron says and he leaves. **

**"Note that Mr. Weasley has lost Gryffindor a hundred points, that does not include the ten points from Mr. Longbottom or the ten points from Ms. Patil." Professor Snape says reminding them of the note. **

**Ron was glad nobody talked to him, as they were ashamed of him for losing so many points from Gryffindor, Harry and Hermione wanted to yell at him, but he made it clear to them to stay away from him. There were only two people really being friendly to him. One was Neville, because nobody really stuck up for him before. The other was Tabitha, and as she wasn't in Gryffindor, she couldn't complain. Toby wasn't talking to him for two reasons, one was because they had a Quidditch match coming up, and he didn't want their friendship to interfere with him winning. The second reason was because Ron was dating his sister, and Tabitha had written to their mother who sent Toby a howler for jumping to conclusions and fighting with Ron. **

**Ron stayed as far away as he could from Gryffindor tower's common room, because Krum kept asking about why he ended friendships with Harry and Hermione. Krum was there to watch the first Quidditch match of the season, to see Harry as seeker and to treat Hermione to a date at Hogsmeade the next day as a belated birthday present. **

**Finally, the week had passed and Ron was in the locker room already changed into his Quidditch robes. The twins approached him before they went out. **

**"We got you this." George says handing him a Nimbus 2000. **

**"What why?" Ron asks. **

**"From our earnings, we paid for it. We figured we owe you from the spiders. I hope we're even." Fred says. **

**"Now, do us a favor, and help us win." George says. **

**"Definitely." Ron says happily. He stared at the Nimbus 2000. It wasn't a Firebolt, but it was still a better broom then the twins had, and it came from them. **

**They all flew out, and Ron shook hands with Toby before Madam Hooch released the balls. **

**Ron flew to the scoring post. He watched as the girls took the Quaffle. Angelina and Katie soared down passing the Quaffle to each other, while Katie waited halfway down the field. Katie threw it to Angelina, and Angelina threw it in the post scoring Gryffindor ten points. Ravenclaw's keeper threw the Quaffle a good distance, and Katie flew up and caught it easily. She threw it back to Alicia and Alicia put another one in the post. The keeper threw it to Toby who flew next to him to catch it, and flew down the pitch dodging the girls and the bludgers. He got right up to the goal posts, but Ron knowing he would throw through the left hoop soared and stopped it. Ron threw it down the other side of the field where Katie waited and caught the Quaffle. The other team's keeper didn't expect it, and therefore Gryffindor had thirty points. **

**Once Gryffindor had seventy points to twenty, Harry spotted the snitch, but a bludger sent his way stopped him. He meanwhile was distracted with Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw seeker, who he secretly had a crush on, up in the air looking for the snitch. **

**The game was getting longer and longer. Toby had actually put four Quaffles past Ron, but Gryffindor still had a good lead. **

**Toby was coming at Ron who was distracting him by flying back and forth, when a bludger sent by a beater on Ravenclaw hit Ron hard across the neck. He blacked out, and fell off his broom. Toby put the Quaffle in the hoop, but stopped playing. **

**"You need to call a time out, I think he's hurt!" Toby cried to Angelina. **

**Angelina had already thought that, and called a time out with Madam Hooch. Harry who had been in the clouds with Cho heard Madam Hooch's whistle blow and heard Lee Jordan who was commentating say "Gryffindor has called a time out." **

**Harry flew down to see why. When he got to the ground, Toby, and the Ravenclaw beaters were there. The beaters were apologizing to the team who were all running over to Ron. Angelina got to Ron first, and she let out a blood-curdling scream. **

**The twins rushed over. "What happened?" Fred asks. **

**"His neck, his neck is broken!" Angelina chokes. **

**"Oh my God." George says bending down to see if his brother was still alive. He was barely breathing, his neck was broken, he lay unconscious and there was blood on his mouth. **

**Madam Hooch flew down to tell them their time out was up, and that if they weren't back in the air now, they'd have to forfeit the match, but that was until she saw Ron. **

**"Oh my…" Madam Hooch started. **

**"He's alive, but only just. We need to get him up to the hospital wing, but we can't move him." George says. **

**Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall were rushing onto the field. Everybody at once knew something was terribly wrong, for a time out to last so long. **

**"What's happened?" Professor McGonagall asks. **

**"I hit a bludger toward him, only to distract him, I didn't know it was going to hit him, and I didn't know it was going to do that…" The beater cries. **

**"His neck is broken." Madam Hooch says to the professors. **

**Professor McGonagall covered her mouth with disbelief. **

**"He's alive, but we need to get him up to Poppy without damaging his neck even more." Madam Hooch says. **

**Professor Dumbledore conjured a stretcher from underneath Ron's body. It rose until it was a good height off the ground. "Resume play, I'll take him to the hospital wing." Professor Dumbledore says pushing the stretcher toward the castle. **

**"We need Sean." George says ever so softly. **

**"I'll get him." Harry offers. **

**"You have five minutes." Madam Hooch says. **

**The other team's beaters were still upset with themselves. It was the beaters' job to knock the other team's players off their brooms, but they almost killed Ron. **

**The Ravenclaw's were at an advantage when Sean took over as keeper. Toby was a really good chaser. They were tied at a hundred when both Cho and Harry saw the snitch. Harry dove down, farther down… He was right on it's tail… He caught it. **

**Roars from the Gryffindors filled the stands. Gryffindors rushed down to the field to congratulate Harry. **

**All Harry wanted to do was see how Ron was doing, but he couldn't. Madam Pomfrey wouldn't let him in. **

**Ron awoke the next day, when everybody else was at Hogsmeade. His neck was better then new, and the only scars he had was the black eye Toby had given him, and the cut lip the bludger had left. **

**Ron left the hospital wing and found the Gryffindor tower deserted. The second and first years were all in the Great Hall. Ron could tell they had won from the mess of the common room and decorations that had been left up. Ron left the common room and walked over to Ravenclaw tower. He gave the password and entered, surprised to see Tabitha there. He had come over to be with her, but he doubted she would be here, when she could be at Hogsmeade. She smiled when she saw him. She put down her book and walked over to him. She hugged him gently, afraid of hurting him, and she kissed him. **

**"How are you feeling?" Tabitha asks. **

**"Good as new. Why aren't you at Hogsmeade like everybody else?" Ron asks. **

**"Madam Pomfrey said she would release you today, and I knew you weren't allowed to Hogsmeade, so I stayed here, hoping I could see you in secret." Tabitha says. **

**"I wasn't sure if you'd be here, I was hoping you would, but still…" Ron says. **

**"It really scared me when they told me your neck was broken. Thank God Madam Pomfrey can heal everything." Tabitha says. **

**"I'm sorry if I scared you." Ron says kissing Tabitha's neck. **

**"I know a way you could make up for it." Tabitha says nibbling on his ear. **

**"Name it, it's half done." Ron says. **

**"Well, the girls in my dorm are all at Hogsmeade…" Tabitha says. **

**"Are you sure?" Ron asks. **

**"Yes, everybody except me and you who is above third year is at Hogsmeade." Tabitha says. **

**"No I meant, are you sure you want to do that?" Ron asks. **

**"Let's see what happens…" Tabitha says, and she leads Ron up to her dorm. **

**Meanwhile, in Hogsmeade Hermione was having a butterbeer with Viktor Krum at Honeydukes. Harry found Padfoot and followed him into a cave. Padfoot changed into Sirius' human form and hugged Harry. **

**"How are you doing?" Sirius asks. **

**"Horrible. Ron's not talking to me Sirius. He wouldn't even let me say anything he just told me to choose sides with Hermione, and he's been really cold toward me." Harry says. **

**"I told you, he doesn't care about anybody but himself. Maybe it was for the best." Sirius says. **

**"I can't see how, Sirius, I'm lonely. Hermione's always going on about her boyfriend, or she's nagging me to study. Now her boyfriend's here, and she hasn't had time for me." Harry says. **

**"Harry, Hermione will get sick of her boyfriend soon, whoever it is, trust me. Then she will be right there for you. But as for Ron, let's put it this way, you don't have detentions with him, do you?" Sirius asks. **

**"You don't understand Sirius." Harry says. "You don't understand." **

**Meanwhile, four hours later around six o'clock the students were still at Hogsmeade, but Ron and Tabitha were walking on the grounds. They were skipping rocks in the lake, when a cold voice came up from behind them. **

**"Well, Weasley you did have me entertained. I had a good laugh when there was a chatter of you being dead running through the crowd." Malfoy taunts. **

**"That's what it takes for you to have a good laugh? For me all I have to see is your face, and the memory of the bouncing ferret takes place." Ron says smartly without looking at him. **

**Malfoy pushed Ron into the lake. Ron hadn't expected the push, but stumbled head first into the freezing depths of the lake. Tabitha screamed. **

**"Ron! Ron!" Tabitha cries. "Where is he?" Tabitha shrieked. **

**"I don't know. It was his own fault, he pushed me." Malfoy says. **

**"ONLY AFTER YOU PUSHED HIM!" Tabitha yells. "Go find him! He might've hit his head!" Tabitha cries. **

**"ME?" Malfoy asks incredulously. **

**"If he dies, I'll be the first to inform Dumbledore!" Tabitha says. **

**"Why don't you find him?" Malfoy asks. **

**"And let you be responsible for two people drowning? I can't swim!" Tabitha says. **

**Malfoy jumped into the water. He didn't see Ron anywhere. Was this a joke? Had he come up already? Malfoy surfaced and took a deep breath, his lungs freezing. He looked around, Tabitha was crying, as she ran to get some help. Malfoy looked for any sign of red, and he saw it. Ron was floating in the freezing water, kilometers away. Malfoy swam under water avoiding Grindylows with his wand. He finally caught up to Ron who was apparently breathing, and swimming. He was fighting creatures that kept pulling him down. Malfoy helped a Grindylow away and they climbed on to land. However they climbed onto land in the Forbidden Forest! **

**"Crap this is not good." Ron muttered under his breath. His lips were blue and he was awfully pale. He shivered as October wind swept over them. Then to make matters worse, it was starting to storm. **

**"Which way's the castle?" Ron asks through clattering teeth. **

**"I… I don't remember. I… got distracted with the Grindylows." Malfoy says. **

**Both boys were scared, but neither dared admit it. "D… Do you remember where the Forbidden Forest ends?" Ron asks. **

**"Hogsmeade station, right?" Malfoy asks. **

**"Well, we'll come out one end or the other." Ron says, and he starts walking. **

**Malfoy follows him. "I think this is the way back to Hogwarts, but the trees are too big, I can't see any sign of the castle." Malfoy says. **

**"I'll climb a tree." Ron suggests, and he did. There were all sorts of birds in the forest. Ron was afraid they'd come after him, but he climbed higher and higher still. **

**Finally, he was able to see it. "Malfoy! It's straight." Ron yells pointing. **

**"How are you going to get down?" Malfoy yells sounding irritated. **

**Ron jumped off the top branch of the tree and did a cannon ball into the freezing lake. Ron climbed over to the forest, and he pulled himself out of the water and lay down on the ground coughing. He coughed a good ten minutes before he was able to stand up. **

**"It's that way." Ron says. They started walking in silence. They knew they would have to work together if they wanted to get out alive. **

**Ron was sweating while shivering. He knew he was going to be very sick if they got out. **

**They were walking a good distance before they heard something move in the forest. **

**"Who's there?" Malfoy shouted. Both boys pulled out their wands. **

**"Should we shoot sparks?" Ron asks. **

**"What for?" Malfoy asks. "I don't think anybody would see them." **

**"No, to scare whatever's there." Ron says. **

**"No, let's keep moving." Malfoy says. **

**"Your right, sending up sparks would let the creature know where we were." Ron says. **

**Malfoy stopped. "I think it's already found us." Malfoy says looking at Ron. Ron looked up ahead. **

**Standing ahead of them growling viciously was a huge creature. It had the head of a lion, a goat's body, and a dragon's tail. "That's a Chimaera, they're extremely dangerous. There's only been one successful slaying." Ron whispers. "Climb a tree, quickly." **

**The boys ran as fast as they could and climbed the two closest trees, but the Chimaera bit Ron's ankle painfully trying to pull him back down. Ron cried out in pain, but climbed out of the Chimaera's reach. He climbed level with Malfoy on a branch and waited for the Chimaera to leave them alone. It however paced back and forth around the two trees. **

**Ron sent down sparks at the creature, but it only aggravated the creature more. Ron shivered as the branches blew wind on him. He was still freezing from the rain and the depths of the lake. **

**"What do we do now?" Malfoy asks. **

**Ron climbed the tree higher, but climbed back down. **

**"I don't know I can't see anything except the castle. If I knew people were around, I'd send up sparks, and maybe somebody would come for us." Ron says. **

**"Send up sparks anyway, maybe there are people looking." Malfoy says. **

**Ron sent up red sparks that shown high above them in the forest. He was sure the villagers of Hogsmeade could see them. They waited ten minutes, and heard nothing. Ron wanted to cry in frustration. He was hurt, sick, and cold. Then a sudden idea occurred to him. **

**"ACCIO NIMBUS 2000." Ron yells with a flick of his wand. **

**"What are you doing?" Malfoy asks. **

**"Summoning my broom, I figure I could fly out of here." Ron says. **

**"Not a half bad idea Weasley." Malfoy says. "ACCIO NIMBUS 2001!" Malfoy says with his wand. They both waited and listened. **

**Nothing came. **

**"Locked in the broom shed." Malfoy says frustrated. **

**"That's it then." Ron says. "Lumos!" Ron 's wand let light appear at the tip of his wand. **

**"What are you doing?" Malfoy asks. **

**"I'm going to die of pneumonia or I'll just bleed to death if I stay here. That Chimaera thing's gone. I figure I have a better chance of running or even swimming at this rate. Sitting in this tree isn't doing anything." Ron says. **

**"Let's swim back, your girlfriend was running for help when I jumped in after you. Maybe she thought we were still in the water." Malfoy says. **

**Ron nods. "All right." Ron jumps from the tree into the freezing water. **

**Malfoy follows. Together they swim up to the clearing between the forest and the castle, and they climb out. Both boys were exhausted, freezing, hurt, and sick. **

**"Now how do we get to there?" Ron asks. He was pulling himself up, but it was a real job with a leg losing a lot of blood, completely soaked robes, and exhaustion weighing him down. **

**"It's not that far, there aren't any obstacles in the way." Malfoy says, but he too was tired. They trudged up to the castle doors. Everybody was already back and eating in the Great Hall. **

**Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat came out into the entrance hall and meowed for Filch. Filch, the caretaker came out of the Great Hall and smiled viciously as he saw the two of them. One leaking blood, mud, and water as he entered, the other just water and mud. **

**"You two wait here." Filch says. **

**"Good, because I don't think I can move anymore." Ron says leaning against the oak doors. **

**To the students of the school, everybody knew that in order for Filch to be happy, a student had to be in a lot of trouble, and when Filch practically skipped up to the Head table everybody knew that somebody was in very deep trouble. Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape left the Great Hall with Filch, who had only told them that the three of them must come see this. He didn't mention this was actually a them. **

**The Professors followed Filch into the entrance hall, where they saw Ron bleeding, and shivering violently, and where they saw Malfoy shivering, not as badly, but scratched up. **

**"Both of you to the hospital wing." Professor McGonagall says grabbing Ron's arm gently, trying to lead him to the hospital wing. **

**The professors led them to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey screamed as she saw the two of them, soaking and freezing and in the case of Ron, bleeding. **

**She got them on to beds. She changed their clothes magically into dry ones and put enchanted heating blankets around each of them. She gave them both goblets of Pepper-up potion, and cleaned Ron's leg. Ron fell asleep instantly, before Madam Pomfrey would let anybody question them. Draco stayed awake though to tell the _story_. **

**The next morning when Ron awoke he was checked over by Madam Pomfrey and then told to go to Professor Dumbledore's office, where he went. He limped up the staircases to Dumbledore's office. He sat outside Dumbledore's office, when the gargoyle sprang to life opening the door. Ron walked up the spiral moving staircase and knocked on Dumbledore's door. Professor McGonagall opened it. **

**"Mr. Weasley, come in and have a seat." Professor McGonagall says. **

**Ron sat silently down in his chair. **

**"I thought I told you if you were fighting again, you'd be suspended." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"Yes sir, you said if you caught me and Malfoy fighting you'd suspend us both. Sir we didn't fight." Ron says. **

**"Mr. Weasley, you and Mr. Malfoy were in the Forbidden Forest yesterday, you didn't get there by talking." Professor McGonagall snaps. **

**"Malfoy pushed me in the Great Lake after an exchange of words, but I guess he came after me, I didn't get to speak to Tabitha about how he fell in yet." Ron says. **

**"Ms. Lovegood told us what happened. You were in the Forbidden Forest because you fought with Mr. Malfoy. You have to learn when to close your mouth. I've given you far too many chances already." Professor McGonagall says. **

**"Are you suspending me?" Ron asks with disbelief. **

**"You left me no choice." Professor McGonagall says. **

**"For how long?" Ron asks. **

**"Two weeks." Professor McGonagall says. **

**"Two weeks? Professor, I can't afford to miss two weeks of classes!" Ron cries. **

**"You should've thought of that before you sank to Mr. Malfoy's bait." Professor McGonagall says. **

**"Yes mam. May I be excused? I have to pack." Ron says miserably. **

**"Yes, meet me at noon in the entrance hall ready to leave." Professor McGonagall says. **

**"Yes Professor." Ron says miserably. He leaves the office. **

**"You have to hand it to them Minerva, they didn't fight, and both of them came back alive." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"I've given him too many chances. Ron is out of control. Professor Sinistra said he was involved in a fight with Mr. Lovegood. Professor Snape overheard rumors of being caught in compromising situations with different girls all over the castle. If I let him stay, the next time I talk to him, it may be the last, because he's too far out of control even for us." Professor McGonagall says. **

**"Mr. Malfoy seems to be out of control as well, but Severus did not suspend him." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"Mr. Malfoy is not my student. You have every right to override my decision to suspend Mr. Weasley, but I can't make rules and then not enforce them, because otherwise my house would do the same, especially with the Weasley twins. 'Oh our brother wasn't suspended for being in the forest…' I don't wish to be mean, but a student in my house can't be as out of control as he has been. He lost a hundred points for Gryffindor and didn't even care. He doesn't care if we give him loads of detentions. He didn't care when we took away his privileges. I'm hoping that two weeks at home will teach him a lesson. Whether it's because of all the work he'll have to make up, or whether it's because his mother will make him deaf from screaming at him. The point is the boy needs discipline." Professor McGonagall says. **

**"I respect your decision, and I have no desire to override it. I just think that Mr. Weasley will think less of you or perhaps less of Severus if only he was to be suspended." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"I do not have the right to punish Mr. Malfoy, Severus may do as he pleases, besides Mr. Weasley and the rest of the Gryffindors think very low of him as it is. Also Mr. Malfoy knows better than to talk back to a professor. Mr. Weasley supposedly yelled at Severus and was asked to leave his lesson. Mr. Malfoy didn't do this." Professor McGonagall says. **

**"I realize that, but I'm not sure Mr. Weasley does, and you might want to let him know you can't suspend Mr. Malfoy, as he's not in your house." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**Meanwhile, Ron had packed everything but his journal, which he was writing in. When he had finished it was eleven o'clock. He started dragging his trunk out of the dorm, but it was a bit heavy and it didn't help that his leg was still injured. Dean and Seamus who were getting their books for Charms. **

**"Ron? Why weren't you in Transfiguration?" Dean asks. **

**"Do you want help with that?" Seamus asks. **

**"Please." Ron says. **

**Seamus helped him carry the trunk down the stairs. **

**"Why do you need this down here anyway?" Dean asks. **

**"I've been suspended." Ron says. **

**"What for?" Dean asks. **

**"Malfoy pushed me into the Great Lake, and he dove in after me, because I had drifted, because of some damn Grindylows, and when we got out we were in the Forbidden Forest. Professor McGonagall says I've broken too many rules." Ron says. **

**"Does that mean Malfoy's been suspended too?" Seamus asks hopefully. **

**"Was he in Transfiguration?" Ron asks. **

**"Yes." Dean asks. **

**"Then no, he hasn't been suspended." Ron says. "Thanks for helping me. Aren't you two a bit late for Charms?" Ron adds. **

**"A bit… yes, I guess so, but this is more important. What happened?" Dean asks. **

**"A Chimaera bit me. Unfortunately it didn't get to Malfoy. We both came back alive, but only I've been suspended." Ron says rolling his eyes. **

**"For how long?" Seamus asks. **

**"Two weeks, I'll probably have to repeat fifth year." Ron says. **

**"When you get back you can copy our notes and homework." Dean offers. **

**"Thanks guys. Well I'd better go." Ron says. **

**"Yea so had we. See you in two weeks. I can't say it will be as fun here without you." Dean says. **

**"What do you mean? At least you'll know for two weeks the house cup is safe with our name on it, since I won't be here taking points off it." Ron says. **

**"True, but it was worth the hundred points for somebody to talk back to Snape." Seamus says. **

**"Yes, and I suppose it will be worth the suspension, as everything I've done wrong is being tied into this." Ron says. **

**"Good luck." Seamus says. **

**"Take care." Dean says. **

**Ron heaved his trunk to the Great Hall and was waiting for McGonagall at quarter to twelve. Professor McGonagall transfigured Ron's trunk into a button, which he pocketed. They walked to the gates of Hogsmeade. **

**"Your parents said to take Floo powder home. They won't be there but your grandfather will." Professor McGonagall says. "If I had the power, I'd suspend Mr. Malfoy, but he's not my student." **

**"I understand, and I know that all of my wrong actions are tied into this suspension, and it's actually less than what I deserve, and I thank you for not expelling me." Ron says cracking his knuckles at his sides. **

**"Your welcome." Professor McGonagall says. **

**Meanwhile, at lunch Harry and Hermione looked around curiously. "Fred, George, where's Ron? I haven't seen him since before we left yesterday." Harry says. **

**"Got me." Fred says. **

**George shrugs. **

**"McGonagall's suspended him." Seamus says. **

**"What?" Five voices at once said. They seemed to belong to Fred, George, Ginny, Hermione, and Harry. **

**"We ran into him when we were getting our books for Charms, he was on his way to Hogsmeade to go home. He's been suspended for two weeks, because he's been in another fight with Malfoy, and they ended up in the Forbidden Forest." Dean explains. **

**"That's horrible. Why isn't Malfoy suspended?" Hermione asks. **

**"Snape's not about to send his favorite student home." Seamus says. **

**Hermione's heart wrenched inside of her. All this time, she thought she just missed Viktor, but when Viktor returned, she knew it wasn't him. He had left yesterday, and Hermione had broken up with him. Now she realized, it was Ron wrenching her heart. It was hard enough not talking to him, she had been able to distract herself with books, but not seeing him at all for two weeks… well that was a different story. She knew he was probably going to live with his horrible Grandfather. She prayed he wouldn't kill him, so she would be able to tell him what she felt.**


	12. A Painful Return to Reality

**Chapter Eleven **

**A Painful Return To Reality **

**Ron steps out of the fireplace and into his kitchen. Ron wouldn't have minded being home, if he weren't on suspension. Ron had always wanted to be the first to do something, but this was not what he had in mind. He didn't want to be the first Weasley to be sent off to live with his Grandfather, because his parents couldn't handle him. He didn't want to be the first Weasley suspended. These were not the possibilities he had hoped for. Then again being the youngest son in a family of seven children, possibilities were very rare, and he was now the first Weasley to be kicked out of Hogwarts, the best school of sorcery for all of the witches and wizards in Great Britain.**

** Ron didn't gasp when his Grandfather entered the kitchen looking dangerous and meaner than ever. Though he almost did, he kept his promise to himself to not let anybody hurt him, and kept his face calm and unbothered. Ron didn't dare ask where his parents were although it was _their_ house. He knew his Grandfather had complete control over him for the next two weeks, and knew that they'd be better off if he kept his mouth shut during them. **

** "Well, well, well… thrown out of Hogwarts… what a disgrace to the wizarding world. I don't know one person who was suspended, besides you. I knew you were meant to be a muggle." Grandfather starts. **

** "I'm not a muggle, sir. I never will be one." Ron says softly. **

** He knew he had been better off keeping his mouth closed; his Grandfather punched him hard in the face for responding. **

** "Keep your mouth closed, you don't get to talk now. You don't get to do anything but breathe and listen." Grandfather says. **

** "You don't know why I was suspended, sir. You can't tell me what I can and can't do. I don't care that my parents left you to take care of me. I'll leave if I have too, but you won't hit me again!" Ron yells. **

** "You're making this harder on yourself you know. I know why you were suspended. You fought repeatedly and were warned of suspension if you didn't stop. You've been caught fooling around the school, and you were in the forbidden forest, hence the word _forbidden_! I can tell you what your limits are, and I can tell you what to do. I'm the adult, and you're the child. You keep forgetting that I'm in charge. You've disgraced the Weasley name if your father hasn't already." Grandfather starts, as he takes off his belt. **

** "You won't talk about my father like that! He's your son, or do you forget? My dad is a great father, unlike you were to him!" Ron yells. **

** "Boy, what did I tell you about that tone? If your father was such a great dad then how come he raised you to be such a bad child?" Grandfather asks. **

** "My name is Ron not boy! My parents raised me to be well. Nobody understands me, and I do what I want. Don't criticize my father." Ron yells. **

** SMACK! Everything went black as Ron was knocked out from a punch. **

** Ron awoke the next morning unable to move as much as he tried. He felt as if all the skin on his back had been ripped off. **

**'So much for not letting anybody hurt you.' A voice in his head said. **

**'I meant inside, stupid.' Another voice argued. **

**'Yes, and what about your backside, I'm sure it feels well right now, doesn't it?' The voice argues. **

**Ron rolled his eyes; he really was hit too hard in the head. He drifted in and out of consciousness throughout the beating. **

**Ron's head pounded, or so he thought. Then he realized it was somebody coming near him. His Grandfather's footsteps echoed up the stairs and stopped outside his room. He watched as the doorknob turned and his Grandfather stepped in the room his belt clenched in his hand. **

**'Great,' Ron thought to himself. 'Another beating is just what I need.' **

**Grandfather didn't make any more movement toward Ron however. He stopped, stood there, and finally after a minute's silence, spoke. **

**"I'd beat you again, but you're not worth it. You had potential to be somebody, but you're nothing now. You're worse than nothing. You're poor parents couldn't stand the shame. Your father even said I was right. I told him he should've worked more the year you were born, and then he wouldn't have time for anything. If he had only waited another year they could have Ginny and escaped the shame of having you. They regret having you. You're mother couldn't even bring herself here to scream herself hoarse at you. She was crying too much saying how you were the biggest mistake she ever made. Your father's beyond disappointed. He couldn't bring himself to even talk to you. He didn't come home because he knew he couldn't look you in the eye." Grandfather says. **

**Grandfather leaves the room with a sigh of disappointment. **

**Why did Ron have to listen now of all times? Why didn't he tune his Grandfather out like he had everybody else who had told him something he didn't want to hear? Why did he have to care now of all times? Tears ran down Ron's face, his mum and dad both agreed they made a mistake and not raising him, but having him. He was one boy too many. He was a disgrace to the whole Weasley family, to the whole wizarding world. His Grandfather was proven right to his father because of him. Everything was because of him. **

**Ron broke down crying, although he kept it silent as not to cause his Grandfather to know he cared. He cried himself to sleep. **

**Percy awaked Ron roughly. "Wake up!" Percy yelled with a great shove. **

**"What?" Ron asks miserably. **

**"Get up." Percy says. **

**"I can't move." Ron says. **

**"I'll make you." Percy threatens. **

**"What do you want Percy?" Ron asks. **

**"You made our whole family look bad, including me. Luckily, Fudge knows I'm nothing like you or father. You with your rebelliousness and father going against Fudge siding with Dumbledore are really putting me in a bad place with the Ministry. You straighten up, or you'll find yourself in Azkaban… everybody's starting to wonder if you're on the dark side." Percy says. **

**"You sided with the Minister over dad and Dumbledore? You're the one who's wrong… I don't give a damn what your place is in the ministry, Fudge is wrong! And how could I be on the dark side? Why would I be on the dark side? I'm fifteen years old! I don't listen to anybody, and I'd listen to Grandfather before You-know-who." Ron says defensively. **

**"I can't believe you of all people were suspended… after Bill and I have both been prefects and head boys… Charlie was too focused on Quidditch to get in trouble, and the twins aren't even that stupid. You know I used to pity you for having to live with Grandfather, but now I realize you deserve much worse. I want you to know that I'm ashamed to have you as my brother." Percy says. **

**"I'm ashamed to have you as my brother, siding against dad. All you want is power, Percy. I can't believe you're as thick as Fudge, you used to be really smart." Ron says. **

**SMACK! Percy had hit Ron hard across the face. **

**"You don't have any room to talk. If I ever hear you insult the Minister or myself again, it'll be the last thing you do." Percy says. **

**Ron rolled his eyes, and Percy left. **

**A few hours later, Ron was working on his essays he'd been given to do during his suspension when he heard something crash downstairs in the kitchen. Letting his curiosity get the better of him, he boldly took a chance downstairs, knowing his Grandfather didn't want to see him. **

**What he found was the last thing he expected… Grandfather was being surrounded by Voldemort and his lot of death eaters. **

**"The boy's not here, and neither are his parents." Grandfather says in a strangled voice. **

**There was a squeak by his feet and he looked down to see his old rat, Scabbers. In his third year he had found out that Scabbers was actually an Animagus by the name of Peter Pettigrew. Pettigrew faked his own death and framed Harry's Godfather. **

**Ron fell back as he looked up. In front of him was Voldemort. "The boy's not here, eh? I think somebody ought to be taught a lesson!" Voldemort says. **

**"Grandfather go!" Ron yells struggling to get back up the steps. **

**There was a pop and a lot of commotion, Ron never saw if his Grandfather was able to apparate or not, because Voldemort had a very tight grip on his shoulder and he dragged him to a chair. **

**Ron crawled underneath the table, before anybody could bind him to the chair. He crawled toward the front door, but there was a death eater out front. Ron somehow got to the stairs, but Voldemort had a hold of his foot, and painfully broke Ron's ankle with a snap. Ron couldn't run anymore. **

**Voldemort pointed his wand at Ron and pointed to the chair. Ron flew backwards at the chair, but the impact of Voldemort's powers, made Ron crash into the chair and tumble backwards. Ron grabbed the handle of the back door and pushed it open. He started crawling outside. **

**Voldemort shook his head and sighed, "Kids always have to learn the hard way." **

**Three death eaters carry Ron back inside and locked the door. Ron put up quite a fight against the three strong wizards, but somehow they managed to get him to a chair, where Voldemort didn't hesitate to bind him to the chair with rope. **

**"Now, now… you are truly a disgrace to the wizarding world… first being suspended, and even I was never suspended from Hogwarts, and now killing your own Grandfather." Voldemort shook his head. **

**"I didn't kill my Grandfather! You did!" Ron cries. **

**"Ah, but he would've been able to escape had you not been suspended." Voldemort says. **

**Ron was silent as he reflected his words. He was responsible for his Grandfather's death… but it didn't matter, Ron wouldn't cooperate with the most evil wizard alive. Soon Voldemort would kill him, and all the pain and blame would stop. **

**"He wouldn't have been killed if you hadn't come in the first place." Ron says. **

**"Oh, stubborn, eh? Well, let's see Weasley do you like pain?" Voldemort asks. **

**Ron rolled his eyes and braced himself for what Voldemort was going to do. **

**"CRUCIO!" Voldemort yells. **

**It was pain beyond any pain Ron had felt before, it felt like somebody was stabbing him everywhere. He wanted it to stop, wanted it to end… his fingernails dug into his palms, and his teeth were clenched. He would not cry, no matter how bad it got… but it wouldn't end, it was like somebody was breaking every bone in his body and it felt like somebody was grabbing his broken ankle extremely hard. Ron screamed out in pain, he couldn't help it. **

**It stopped. Ron was shaking severely, and he was drenched in sweat. Tears ran down his cheeks, and his ankle was throbbing. Ron was breathing heavily. **

**"Did you like that boy? Because if you don't answer my questions, you're going to get that a lot." Voldemort hisses. **

**Ron was still panting. "I won't answer anything you want to know!" Ron yells. **

**"Oh, but I think you will. Let me remind you of the consequence of not answering me, the dark lord, the most powerful wizard there is!" Voldemort says. **

**"You're not the most powerful wizard, you're still afraid of Dumbledore! He's the most powerful wizard there is." Ron yells defensively. **

**Voldemort was not pleased in the slightest. His evil smile dropped, and he raised his wand. "CRUCIO!" **

**Ron was screaming in pain, his ankle was in so much pain, and his back felt as if all the skin was being ripped off, if it was still there. He wished it all would stop or he would just die, but it didn't stop. He felt like he was on fire, being burned alive. He felt all the skin come off his body as the flames engulfed him… **

**Then it stopped. Ron crashed down on the chair breaking it. Somehow he had been in the air when the Cruciatus Curse was performed. Ron couldn't move even if he tried. He was trying to catch his breath, he was breathing so fast yet so heavily, and he couldn't calm himself down. His ankle was bleeding now as it hit the ground it landed on a sharp piece of glass. All of the windows had been smashed in when Voldemort lost his temper. Ron's shoulder was bleeding through his shirt, and his hands were bleeding. Ron didn't know if it was because of his own fingernails or if it was from the glass. He didn't have time to ponder. **

**Three death eaters picked him up and sat him up on the table. One was grinning behind his mask. **

**"Master, may I speak to the boy?" A cold voice hisses. Ron recognized it immediately. It was Lucious Malfoy's. **

**"As you wish." Voldemort says. **

**Lucious Malfoy smacked Ron hard against the face, causing blood to stream down his face from the corner of his eye. **

**"You are a friend to the Potter boy." Lucious says evilly. **

**Ron didn't say anything. **

**"Where does Potter stay during his summer holidays?" Lucious asks. **

**Ron quickly thought of anything but the situation. He knew if he didn't think of Harry, they might not be able to get answers from him. **

**He remembered the time Hermione slapped Malfoy across the face. He remembered the time Hermione hugged him after he and Harry made up. He remembered when Hermione had offered to help him with chores and how cute she was when he pushed her into the leaves. He realized he liked Hermione more than a friend, but he would never get to tell her that now. **

**Lucious Malfoy smacked him back into reality. **

**"IMPERIO!" Voldemort yelled. **

**Everything went blank around Ron, he wasn't in the kitchen, he wasn't anywhere, and he seemed to be floating in nothing. Nobody was around him, but then he heard a voice. **

**"Where does Harry stay on the holidays? You could stay here forever in no pain if you tell…" **

**"At Hogwarts." Ron answers. **

**"No, where does he live during the summer holidays? Where do his relations live?" A voice asks, though it was angrier than the first, and scarier. **

**Ron wouldn't say. **

**"If you tell us, we won't kill your little mudblood girlfriend on the holidays… think about it, who means more? Potter or Granger?" A voice asks. **

**Pain was starting to come back to him. He couldn't tell. He couldn't answer… Hermione was going to be killed if Ron didn't say, but if he did say Harry would certainly be killed, because Ron wouldn't be able to warn anybody. He knew they would kill him; it was just a matter of time. **

**He was brought back to reality with pain hitting him harder than ever. He couldn't stop shaking, and tears threatened to fall from his eyes... tears for Hermione. **

**"Yes you are a disgrace to the wizarding world, to have feelings for a mudblood." Lucious hisses. **

**"She's not a mudblood! The only people who have bad blood are dark wizards like you!" Ron yells before he could stop himself. **

**"CRUCIO!" Lucious yells. **

**Ron knew this was the last time he could handle this, he was so weak, and the pain was growing stronger and stronger. He felt as if somebody was slicing his skin off slowly and agonizingly. He felt his bones breaking, he was in so much pain he couldn't even cry out. He felt himself being burned alive, and he felt himself hit the floor full of shattered glass as it finally stopped. **

**Ron was dying he knew it. The death eaters and Voldemort seemed to realize it too. They were still trying to get answers out of him, this time quicker. **

**"Where does he stay during the summer?" **

**"Who's protecting him there?" **

**"You're risking your sister's life by not telling us." **

**"We won't kill the mudblood if you tell us, it's your last chance." **

**"Don't you want some company when you die? Wouldn't you want your best friend dead with you?" **

**Ron couldn't answer, he couldn't find his voice, and everything was blurry, he felt numb. **

**One of the death eaters brought him over to the living room. The death eater jammed his arm between the grandfather clock and the wall, and made it painfully tight. Ron didn't know what they were doing, but was very aware after it had been done. Somebody pushed him forward, dislocating his arm and breaking it. Ron cried on the floor, he was too weak to do anything else. **

**Ron felt somebody roll him on to his back, and he heard a voice say, "Wormtail leave our mark. Macnair, finish him off." **

**The last thing Ron saw was the executioner's axe before he went into complete darkness. **

**Harry awoke on the floor in the dungeons during Snape's Potions lesson. He was sweating and still twitching. His breathing was fast and heavy, and tears were in his eyes. The horrible thing was, he didn't remember anything of what happened. Harry shakily stood up. Everybody was staring at him, and surprisingly Snape was not there. **

**Hermione had a cauldron full of cold water that she was about to pour on Harry, when she saw he was awake. **

**"Thank God, Harry what happened?" Hermione asks. **

**"I… I…" Harry grabbed his head tightly, trying to remember everything he had seen. **

**Somebody shook his shoulder. It was Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape was right behind him. Snape had gotten Dumbledore. **

**"Harry, what happened?" Professor Dumbledore asks. **

**"I… can't remember. I think somebody was killed… I can't remember." Harry says trying to think. **

**"It's all right, follow me." Professor Dumbledore says. Professor Dumbledore leads Harry out of the classroom. **

**Meanwhile, Grandfather had apparated to the Ministry gates and ran inside as fast as his old legs would carry him. He ran up the stairs and found his son finishing a report in his office. **

**Mr. Weasley looked up surprised to see his father there. **

**"Ron…" Grandfather panted, but couldn't catch his breath. **

**"What about Ron?" Mr. Weasley asks seriously. **

**"Death Eaters… You-know-who…" Grandfather coughed. **

**"You're not making any sense." Mr. Weasley says. **

**"They were at the burrow. I'm sorry… I left him there…" Grandfather cries. **

**"You left him there?" Mr. Weasley cries. **

**"I'm sorry! I thought I could get help in time…" Grandfather says. "He told me to go! I'm so sorry." Grandfather broke down sobbing. **

**"Come with me." Mr. Weasley says. **

**The two of them ran into an office, where a meeting was being held. Among those present were Percy Weasley and Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic. **

**"Arthur, what is the meaning of this barging in here?" Fudge asks standing up. **

**"You need to dispatch the Magical Law Enforcement immediately! You-know-who, and the death eaters are at my home right now. My son is at home. They'll kill him if you don't send them!" Mr. Weasley says. **

**"This is ludicrous! This is exactly what Dumbledore put into your head! The dark lord has fallen!" Fudge says. **

**"Yes, but he has risen again! I was at home with my grandson, and they apparated on to the property. I left to get help, but nobody's moving!" Grandfather yells. **

**"This is out of control. I must ask you to leave." Fudge says. **

**A member of the Magical Law Enforcement came to see what the yelling was about. It turned out to be Robert Edwards. **

**"John, Arthur, what's happened?" Robert asks seriously. **

**"You-know-who and the death eaters are at the burrow, killing my Grandson." Grandfather says. **

**"You should have somebody at St. Mungo's check you out. You have a few injuries yourself. Arthur, come with me, we'll get your son…" Robert starts, but Fudge wouldn't hear of it. **

**"Mr. Edwards, would you like to lose your position at the Ministry? They believe You-know-who has risen!" Fudge yells. **

**"I'm not risking my position, if somebody needs the magical law enforcement then we have to comply." Robert says. **

**Robert got the rest of the members of the Magical Law Enforcement, and they all apparated to the burrow. **

**When they got there the Dark Mark was just rising in the air. There was one person inside, but they disapparated just as they arrived. They walked into the burrow. Everything was in smoke; they extinguished a fire coming from the living room magically. **

**They reached the kitchen; Robert tripped over something and caught the cabinet before he fell. He felt something pierce through his glove. It was glass. He noticed all the windows had been broken. **

**"Everybody stand back!" Robert called. **

**Robert reached down to see what he tripped over, and through the smoke, he saw a hand. Robert waved the smoke away and found Ron. He conjured up a stretcher that rose out of the ground and pushed Ron outside on the stretcher. **

**"Was there anybody else home?" Robert asks Mr. Weasley, who has yet to see his son on the stretcher. **

**"Just Ron and my father, my father left." Mr. Weasley says. **

**"What about Molly?" Robert asks. **

**"She's in hiding. Ron can't be too far. You don't think they took him with them, do you?" Mr. Weasley asks with an unsteady voice. **

**"No, I've got him on the stretcher next to me, you can't see him through the smoke." Robert explains. **

**"Is he all right? Is he alive?" Mr. Weasley asks. **

**"I don't know, my main priority was getting him out of here. We'll check when we're out of the smoke." Robert says. **

**They walk outside, while other Hit Wizards searched the house. They saw Ron lifeless, bloody, and beaten. He was unconscious, and it looked as if he wasn't breathing. **

**Mr. Weasley broke down crying. His son was dead, and he never even got to say goodbye to him, how proud he was of him, because he was proud of his son, no matter what he did, and he never got to tell him that he loved him. **

**"Arthur, he's still got a pulse, it's incredibly weak, but if we get him to St. Mungo's they might just be able to save him." Robert says. **

**"How do we get him there?" Mr. Weasley asks. **

**"I'm a hit wizard, I'll apparate him there." Robert says. **

**"Thank you." Mr. Weasley cries. **

**As Robert disapparated with Ron, Mr. Weasley wondered how he could tell his children, how he could tell his wife. **

**Mr. Weasley apparated to where his wife was in hiding at. He told her and as hysterical as she was, they didn't hesitate to apparate to St. Mungo's. However the children had a different way of finding out. **

**The next morning at breakfast everybody was receiving mail as they ate breakfast. Every seat in the Great Hall was filled with the exception of one seat, and that was at Gryffindor Tower where Ron usually sat. **

**Harry was quiet, still embarrassed of having a nightmare in Snape's classes. He would be tormented for months to come by Malfoy and Professor Snape. Hermione was reading a book while she ate some bacon. An owl swooped over to her and delivered the _Daily Prophet_. Hermione paid the owl and it flew off. She closed her book and opened the paper. From the cover of the paper she couldn't breathe. Her chest swelled up. The cover picture was of Hit Wizards removing the Dark Mark from the burrow, and the headline read: **

**_The Dark Lord Has Risen Again!_ **

** Hermione kept praying that Ron was in Ireland with his Grandfather, so she skimmed the article. Hermione didn't care that Rita Skeeter reported it, because she was more concerned of what happened than anything else.**

**The Weasley family, one of Britain's oldest wizarding families has suffered a great tragedy on the morning of Halloween _reports special correspondent Rita Skeeter_. Of the seven people who live here during the holidays only one person was injured. Ronald Weasley, the youngest son of the Weasley family was severely tortured by He-who-must-not-be-named. He was thought to be dead on the scene, but he was still brought to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries and Maladies. **

**Medi-wizards have said far stronger wizards and witches have been tortured less, and have been killed or declared insane. There is absolutely no chance that this fifteen-year-old boy will live. **

**Ronald Weasley had been home on a suspension leave from Hogwarts, under his Grandfather's care. Arthur and Molly Weasley were elsewhere at the time of the attack. John Weasley was watching his grandson, when You-know-who and the Death eaters arrived. It is said that Ronald told his Grandfather to leave for help, and he fled. Though help did not arrive soon enough. The burrow, as the Weasley's call their home was set on fire, which Hit Wizards extinguished. There was glass everywhere; the windows had been busted in. Chairs were broken in the kitchen; the whole of the first floor has been ruined. **

**Ronald's injuries are listed as fatal, among the numerous amount of torture that was performed; his arm was dislocated and broken in three places, while his ankle was also broken. He was covered in bruises and blood when he was brought to St. Mungo's; he was and remains unconscious, if not dead. **

**Hermione was shaking as she stood up. Tears for Ron threatened to fall. She held the paper tightly in her hand and walked over to the Slytherin table. She grabbed Malfoy by the collar and threw him to the ground. People started to look around, surprised that a goody-goody know-it-all was about to kill Malfoy. **

**Hermione completely forgetting her magical witch powers started punching Malfoy as hard as she could, which in Malfoy's opinion was pretty strong for a girl. Malfoy couldn't stop her, he could only try to block her hits, but still she'd hit him in another place just as hard. The Slytherins were too shocked and scared of Hermione's rage to do anything, and when one would try to stop her, she'd hit them, before going right back to Malfoy. **

**Professors and Gryffindors hurried over to try and stop her, but no threat from a teacher mattered, and she was able to wriggle herself free from her classmates' grips. **

**"Hermione, have you lost your mind?" Neville asks. **

**"Stop Hermione!" Harry urges. **

**"Ms. Granger, what do you think you're doing? Stop!" Professor McGonagall cries. **

**"Fifty points from Gryffindor!" Professor Snape yells. **

**Hermione still didn't stop, and nobody could make her, or so she thought. Somebody with no effort grabbed her by her robes and swung her a great distance away from Malfoy. This somebody was somebody Harry and Hermione missed, and it wasn't even Ron. **

**"Hermione, what do you think yer doin'?" It was Hagrid's voice. **

**All in all even if it was Hagrid, Hermione was still full of rage. **

**"HE KILLED HIM!" Hermione screams. She lost all self-control when the paper arrived. She was extremely emotional and breaking down into tears. **

**Harry grabbed the paper from her, but before he could read it Hagrid took it out of his hand. Hagrid read it. He went pale white, but still he wasn't going to let Hermione or Harry kill another student, he knew how powerful the Malfoy family was with their money, and he knew what Azkaban was like and did not wish either of them to go there. **

**"Harry, Hermione, why don't you come with me. Come on now, it's all right. The paper exaggerates from time to time… come on now." Hagrid says gravely. **

**Hermione followed him sobbing as she left the great hall. Harry followed trying to get the paper or answers from Hermione. They followed him into an empty classroom, and they sat down. **

**"Are you back for good now?" Harry asks hopefully. **

**"It all depends on Professor Dumbledore." Hagrid says. **

**Hermione was still sobbing. She had cradled her knees with her arms and was sobbing into her robes. **

**Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape found them and joined them. **

**"Ms. Granger, Mr. Malfoy has a black eye, a bloody nose, and a fat lip, because of you, what do you have to say for yourself?" Professor Snape asks. **

**"Ron's dead because of him! He didn't get half of what he deserves!" Hermione sobs. **

**"Ron's what?" Harry asks suddenly. **

**"Ron's dead, they killed him." Hermione sobs. **

**"No, no, it wasn't Ron…" Harry says. **

**"It happened yesterday morning, when you had that nightmare in Professor Snape's class. You saw it!" Hermione sobs. **

**"Hermione, the paper never said he was dead, it merely stated statistics of those who had been tortured by You-know-who. They wouldn't have brought him to St. Mungo's if there were no hope. That Rita Skeeter lady is just trying to make a story even bigger." Hagrid says. **

**"Rita Skeeter? She's not allowed to write!" Harry says. **

**"What do you mean?" Professor McGonagall asks. **

**"She's an illegal Animagus, she gets her stories by becoming a beetle." Harry says softly. **

**"I'll speak to the Minister about that…" Professor McGonagall says. **

**"Harry, do you remember anything at all from the nightmare?" Professor Dumbledore says. **

**Harry thought for a long minute. He was concentrating hard. Then he began to speak. **

**"They were trying to get answers… about where I stayed on the holidays… and who protected me there. I don't think he told them." Harry says. "They did the Cruciatus Curse on him… he wouldn't cooperate with them… there was an axe, the executioner was supposed to finish him off, but I woke up. I know there was more, I just don't remember." Harry says. He looks up and shakes his head, "I can't remember." **

**"How Ms. Granger do you accuse my student of killing Mr. Weasley, when it was the work of You-know-who and the death eaters?" Professor Snape asks. **

**"Tabitha said Malfoy pushed him in the lake. He didn't hit Malfoy or anything he just started with him. Malfoy jumped in after him, it was his own choice. I don't know if there was fighting in the forest or what, but both of them came out alive, which means one of them could've easily let the other stay there and get eaten by dangerous beasts, but they didn't! If Malfoy hadn't pushed Ron in the lake, Ron wouldn't have been suspended! Why wasn't Malfoy punished at all? It wasn't fair. Malfoy's father is a death eater, he could've easily written to him about how he got him suspended. It benefits You-know-who, because Ron knows everything about Harry! If he hadn't had started with him Ron would still be here." Hermione says. **

**"Ms. Granger, he earned a suspension! It was not Mr. Malfoy who suspended him, as much as you wanted to take your anger out on him, it was not he who suspended him, it was me. I regret it tremendously now, but how are we supposed to reprimand students if we let one get away with anything?" Professor McGonagall asks. **

**"You already did. You reprimanded Ron, but Malfoy's still here. He hasn't even served a detention, meanwhile Ron's dead!" Hermione says. **

**"Hagrid said he wasn't dead, maybe you misread it." Professor McGonagall says. **

**"Perhaps you should read it Professor, it said he was thought to be dead on the scene… Medi-wizards have said far stronger wizards and witches have been tortured less, and have been killed or declared insane. There is absolutely no chance that this fifteen-year-old boy will live… His injuries were listed as fatal." Hermione cries. **

**"You need ter have faith, Hermione. Ron Weasley is one of the most stubborn people I've met." Hagrid assures her. **

**"Yes, and you haven't seen him this year…" Professor Snape says. **

**"What is that supposed ter mean?" Hagrid asks. **

**"Mr. Weasley has been out of control, and extremely stubborn." Professor Snape says. **

**"Not much unlike Malfoy." Harry says. **

**"That is enough. I wish you two would not say anything to Fred, George, or Ginny Weasley. Their parents or myself will address them when we know anything." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"Will you let us know if you find out anything more? I don't want to find out when Hermione kills Malfoy." Harry says. **

**"I will let you know, and Ms. Granger I must ask you to bring any news like this to my attention, before you lash out at anybody." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"And speaking of anybody… Ms. Granger you may go and apologize to Mr. Malfoy now." Professor Snape says. **

**"Yes sir." Hermione cries. She gets up and begins to leave, Harry follows her. **

**They return to the Great Hall to find everybody talking about Hermione's attack on Malfoy. **

**Harry follows Hermione over to the Slytherin table. Everybody stops talking to hear her, and heads all turn to watch her. **

**"I apologize Draco Malfoy, for not killing you, like I originally intended to do." Hermione says. **

**She turns and leaves the Great Hall again. Harry's teary eyes were wide with surprise. He follows her out to the entrance hall, where the four professors were now emerging. **

**"Did you apologize?" Professor Snape asks. **

**"Sincerely." Hermione says. **

**"Very well then." Professor Snape says giving them searching looks. **

**"I suggest you two go up to the common room, there's hot chocolate up there waiting for you. Ms. Granger, I assure you that no points have been taken from Gryffindor house, as your reaction was reasonable. However, if anybody asks you lost a hundred points. I don't want the twins to react like that or worse." Professor McGonagall says. **

**"Thank you Professor, I'm sorry for ruining everybody's meal." Hermione says. She leaves for the common room still crying. **

**"Professor, do you need me ter leave straight away again? I think the kids might need some consoling if they find out, and I get along all right with them." Hagrid says hopefully. **

**"Hagrid, I think I'll need you to be here for a bit, but let's go up to my office, I need to know how you did…" Dumbledore says. **

**Harry and Hermione entered the Gryffindor Common Room crying. Someone grabbed Harry, causing him to yell and jump, and the invisible person started laughing. It was Sirius, but he stopped laughing once he saw they were crying. **

**"What happened?" Sirius' voice asks. **

**"Ron's dead." Hermione sobs. **

**"What?" Sirius asks again. **

**Hermione fell on the armchair and curled up into a ball. She sobbed into her knees. Why did she have to realize her feelings for him too late? She would never know if he felt the same way, and she would never get to tell him her true feelings. She cried herself to sleep. **

**Harry awoke Hermione when night had fallen. She opened her eyes. There were Gryffindors all around her studying, relaxing, or in the case of Fred and George being loud as possible joking around and imitating what they thought was the greatest thing on earth, Hermione beating the crap out of Malfoy. **

**"Hermione, are you all right?" Dean Thomas' voice came from behind her. He saw that she took the mug of hot chocolate from Harry and started drinking it. "You missed every class today…" Dean adds. **

**"That was brilliant the way you pounded on Malfoy! McGonagall's been saying she took a hundred points from you, but the hour glasses still say we're in the lead with points." Seamus says. **

**"So it wasn't a nightmare, he really is dead?" Hermione asks Harry with teary eyes. **

**"You don't know he's dead, Hagrid even said it was just Rita Skeeter and statistics." Harry says softly. **

**"Who's dead?" Angelina asks softly. **

**"It wasn't Viktor Krum, right? That would be horrible, Bulgaria would never make it to another Quidditch cup if they lost him." Fred says. **

**"No." Hermione says. **

**"No? Well it must've been somebody you really liked for you to skip classes, and beat the crap out of Malfoy in front of all those teachers. It's not Krum, so who could it be?" George asks. **

**"I would've killed him if I remembered I had my wand." Hermione mutters to herself. **

**"Well tomorrow's another day." Fred says. **

**"Would you stop? She's obviously hurting, leave her alone." Angelina says giving Fred a shove. **

**"Oh my God…" Ginny cries. **

**"What?" George asks. **

**"Hermione, it wasn't Ron, was it?" Ginny asks. **

**Everyone went silent waiting for Hermione to answer. Hermione averted her eyes to the ground. She couldn't let them know. Dumbledore asked them not to tell them. How could you tell Ginny Weasley her older brother's been killed? How could you tell the twins their younger brother's not coming back? **

**"Hermione, was it Ron?" Fred asks in an unsteady voice. **

**"Oh God, he was home on suspension! Hermione, what did the paper say? Is my brother dead? What about my parents? Hermione, if you had any siblings, you'd want to know. If he went to your house, you'd want to know if your parents were still going to be able to greet you home on the holidays or if they're being buried in a cemetery plot. Hermione tell me!" George yells. **

**"I was told not to tell you." Hermione cries. **

**"Yea, and we were told you lost Gryffindor a hundred points, but it doesn't matter, tell us." Fred says. **

**"That's it, I'll get McGonagall to explain things." George says frustrated. He opens the portrait hole and sees his oldest brother Bill fall to the ground as the picture hit him in the face, meanwhile Charlie laughs and helps him up. **

**"Ah, thank you George. We've been trying to get her to let us in for about five minutes now." Charlie says as they climb through the portrait hole. **

**"What happened at the burrow?" George asks seriously. **

**"I don't know." Charlie says. **

**"Then why are you here?" George asks. **

**"What we can't spend some quality time with our brothers and sister without having a reason for doing so?" Bill asks. **

**"Not at Hogwarts, why are you here, what happened?" George asks. **

**"Well, there's been a lot of bad stuff going on and we figured we could use a good laugh to cheer us up, and the thought of our brothers and sister came to our minds." Bill says. **

**"What's the bad stuff? And Ron's not here, maybe you know where he is?" George asks. **

**"One, I can't tell you where Ron is, because the information is being withheld from us, but they said St. Mungo's… though, they refuse to let anybody in. They think somebody's trying to use Polyjuice potion or something to get in and kill him, and they can't take chances with children, or anybody who's not old enough to apparate, so they have the place on lockdown. Until they move him to a safer place, which we have no idea as to where one might be that could help him recover is, nobody's in or out of that building. Two, You-know-who and the lot of Death Eaters came to the burrow and everything's a wreck… they set the first floor on fire, they broke chairs and busted in all the windows… We couldn't see half the damage, dad left orders with the hit wizards to not let us within a kilometer of the house." Bill says. **

**"Ron's not dead?" Ginny asks hopefully. **

**"Ah, not yet… they're still unsure. They were surprised he's still alive now. They were shocked when he was still breathing at the burrow. Ron's a fighter. He's hanging in there. So as much as that cow Rita Skeeter writes about how Ron's got no chance, just know it's all a load of dung." Charlie says. **

**"So he could come out alive and sane?" Hermione asks. **

**"Alive yes, as for his sanity, they highly doubt it, but still they highly doubted he'd be alive this morning. The medi-wizards have been proven wrong about their statistics so far. Although, after what we've heard he's been through I don't think he'll be the same again, but if he does come out of this, he'll realize he's not invincible, and he might be controllable." Charlie says. **

**"What about mum and dad?" Ginny asks. **

**"Dad was working, and mum was in hiding." Charlie says. **

**"Who was with Ron then?" Fred asks. **

**"He wasn't home alone, was he?" George asks. **

**"Oh of course not, Grandfather got custody over Ron, so he and that idiot Percy were at the burrow. Percy went back to work, but Grandfather was the first attacked when they came to the burrow." Bill says. **

**"Was he all right?" Ginny asks hopefully. **

**"Ron made him leave, caused a distraction, allowing him to apparate to the Ministry to get some help. He's at St. Mungo's… had a heart attack from everything, seeing the dark lord. If it wasn't for Ron, we might not have a grandfather." Charlie says. **

**"But he just left him there?" George asks. **

**"He should've stayed with him!" Fred says. **

**"If he had stayed, he would've been killed and nobody would know until Percy got home and saw the dark mark. Ron was right to make him go, and the way Ron's been acting you're not about to argue with him. Besides, Ron wouldn't want the blame of causing Grandfather to die." Charlie says. **

**"It wouldn't be his fault." Ginny says. **

**"He'd think it would be… if Ron wasn't home, Grandfather would've apparated easily no problem… but Ron was home, and why was he home? Because he was suspended… now who earned him a suspension?" Charlie asks. **

**"Malfoy." Hermione answers. **

**"No, he fought with Malfoy plenty of times, and I saw those marks on his face as we went by. As amusing as it was to see that, McGonagall won't tolerate it." Charlie says. **

**"Hermione gave him those marks. She's not suspended." George says. **

**"I won't ever get on your bad side." Charlie promises. **

**"It wasn't just the fighting though, he ended up in the Forbidden Forest." Bill says. **

**"Malfoy pushed him in the lake, and he had to fight Grindylows, and when he got up he was there, so he had no choice… Besides, Malfoy was in the Forbidden Forest and he wasn't suspended." Hermione says. **

**"He was out of control, Hermione, and the consequences never bothered him. They were afraid he or Malfoy would kill one another, so they kicked Ron out. Snape's biased, McGonagall's fair. From what I was told, he caused a lot of chaos around the castle; some of it was with girls, something that Malfoy didn't do, so maybe they just wanted him to stop that. I don't have the mind of McGonagall, but basically he earned himself a suspension, and he would've never forgiven himself if our Grandfather had died instead of him." Charlie says. **

**"Why do you keep calling Percy an idiot?" Harry asks. **

**"Well, there's two sides at the Ministry now… One believes what Dumbledore believes, You-know-who's come back… the other is with Fudge pretending it's all dung that Dumbledore's full of rubbish. Now which side would you think Percy to be on if we're calling him an idiot?" Charlie asks. **

**"Percy's against Dumbledore?" Fred asks. **

**"No, not against Dumbledore… see there are three sides… The bad, the good, and the people who don't think there is a bad side anymore. You-know-who's the problem, Dumbledore and everybody who's willing to go against You-know-who are the solution, and then there are just people who think Dumbledore's crazy and making stuff up, and won't bother to help, but won't go on the dark side, so they're just idiots." Bill explains. **

**"Mr. Weasley, and Mr. Weasley, it's been a while…" Professor Dumbledore's voice came from the wall. He along with Professor McGonagall were leaning against the Gryffindor wall by the portrait hole. **

**"Yes, I haven't seen you since spring." Bill says. **

**"I haven't seen you since last year." Charlie says. **

**"So what brought you two here? I thought maybe your parents would tell them." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"They would've, but St. Mungo's is on a lockdown. Nobody in or out, and we're waiting for an owl. My parents would send word when they're able to move him, and they're sending an owl to these three letting them know exactly how Ron is, and we're going to intercept it." Bill says. **

**"Where are they moving him to?" Professor Dumbledore asks. **

**"They can't say, but they can't keep him at St. Mungo's, its too dangerous. He's too young to apparate, and they can't apparate him out of St. Mungo's. A hit wizard apparated him there, but we don't know how it was possible. The other patients have a button thing that the medi-wizards could push if there was an attack, but they'd have to know how to apparate before they were in there in order to get them out. Its really confusing, but basically Ron would be killed if there was an attack there, and a few aurors told my parents that You-know-who knows Ron's not dead, and he still wants answers and he wants to kill him, because Ron knows something that could ruin plans if he survives and remembers. And because Rita Skeeter printed that article, they know he's at St. Mungo's. They still think he could break through the lockdown though. Somehow Rita Skeeter's inside. They don't know if she's using Polyjuice potion or what, but the medi-wizards are encouraged to lie, so she'll write that he's dead, and You-know-who might leave them alone, but Rita Skeeter won't stop spreading news." Charlie explains. **

**Just then an owl addressed to the twins and Ginny flew in. Charlie reached up and snatched it. **

**"The funny thing is, it had our names on it, not yours." Fred says. **

**"I came here to intercept your letter, maybe you didn't hear me." Bill says. **

**Charlie shushed him as he read the letter. "Read it." Charlie says handing Bill the letter. **

**_Dear Fred, George, and Ginny, _**

**_ Or should I say Bill and Charlie, if they intercept your letter. I know your brothers have informed you about the attack on Ron. We can tell you very little, but we will write all we can. We are with your brother outside of the country. I can't tell you where, but I can tell you that Ron is alive, but has yet to awaken. The medi-wizards tell us that he more than likely will be insane when he does awake, and probably won't remember anything not even his family. However, we've been lucky so far, the medi-wizards have been proven wrong, as Ron has survived thus far. He's even breathing somewhat better; this is a great step to recovery for him. Please behave as best you can. Boys watch after your sister. _**

**_Bill and Charlie go to Percy for information on where to find us. Don't kill him, at the moment we don't need anymore of you hurt. _**

**_Love, _**

**_ Mum and dad _**

** "Do you think they were lying?" Charlie asks.**

** "No, it's all here, they only wrote what they could. We better go see the idiot." Bill says handing Charlie the letter.**

** "Can I have that letter now?" George asks impatiently.**

** "I don't know, can you reach?" Charlie asks holding it high above his own head.**

** "Not funny, give it." Fred says.**

** "Give him the letter, we need to see the idiot." Bill says.**

** "You're no fun, _give him the letter_ you know you're starting to sound like the idiot." Charlie says handing the letter to Fred.**

** "You're starting to sound like a dead Weasley." Bill warns.**

** "Dead people don't make sounds, idiot." Charlie says.**

** "We'll be back. Nice to see you all again." Bill says to the professors, shaking their hands, he turns back to his siblings who were reading the letter. "Fred, George… _behave!_" Bill says.**

** "Oh no, you don't sound like the idiot." Charlie laughs as they exit the portrait hole.**

** Harry watches Bill run after Charlie as the portrait hole closes.**

** "He might not even remember us." Fred says hoarsely.**

** Ginny, who had read the letter ran up to her dorm, obviously afraid to cry in front of everybody. Her classmates followed her up the stairs and into the dorm.**

** "Mr. Weasley, might I see that letter, please?" Professor McGonagall asks.**

** Fred handed it to the professor. Both professors read it.**

** "I'm very sorry." Professor McGonagall says.**

** "It's not your fault. If it had been any other year, nothing would've happened." George assures her.**

** "I wish you all to come down to the feast tonight. It will be dedicated to Mr. Weasley." Professor Dumbledore says.**

** They all nodded or showed some gesture that they would indeed go to the feast.**

** At dinner that night Hagrid sat up at the staff table with the rest of the teachers. Only one spot remained empty still, and that belonged to Ron. Before dinner appeared on their plates, Professor Dumbledore stood up and everybody silenced.**

** "This feast is dedicated to Mr. Ronald Weasley, for he is not with us, and he may not be with us ever again. Yesterday morning, Lord Voldemort tortured Ronald Weasley severely. We will hold our glasses up and make a toast to Ronald Weasley and we will honor his strength and his fight. Ronald Weasley was a great friend, a great brother, and a great student. To Ronald Weasley." Professor Dumbledore says raising his glass. **

** Everyone else, with the exception of the Slytherins raised their glasses and honored Ron Weasley, who they would not see again for the rest of the year.**


	13. Endless Nightmares

**Chapter Twelve**

**Endless Nightmares**

Kind of a Late Disclaimer: This is Fan fiction; all of this is based on J.K. Rowling's series. This is what I thought up after reading the Harry Potter series way too many times, and converging Ron's character with an out of control teenager, like the ones I know. Thanks for the reviews, and remember it's fiction, not real. 

Author's Note: I'm not about to kill my favorite character, and you may all wonder why I am putting Ron through so much if he's my favorite character, and the answer is this: I'm a drama queen, and it's my story. If you don't like it don't read it, but thanks for the reviews! 

If this situation seems impossible even for the fiction world it's probably because it is, just remember this is fan fiction. I hope you all enjoy. 

** Ron tossed and turned. He could be heard screaming from rooms away. Medi-wizards rushed to his bed, finding Ron strangled in his sheets. He was crying in his sleep. **

** "No more, please no more… I don't know… please leave me alone… Ow!" Ron would sob. **

** "He's alive, but trapped in a nightmare." Dr. Covington says. **

** "What do you suggest a calming potion?" Nurse Maia asks. **

** "Yes, he'll need it… that and reassurance that he's not still there." Dr. Covington says. **

** "How can we reassure him that?" Nurse Maia asks as she gets a goblet of calming potion. "He's trapped in his world, we've tried talking to him, and we're not getting through." **

** "You give up way too easily. Have faith and a lot of patience. He can't be rushed." Dr. Covington says. **

** "That's easy for you to say, doctor, you have more than one patient." Nurse Maia says. **

** "True, but I am interested in his recovery very much. He's exceeded all of our medical predictions. Only one other person has surpassed medical predictions before and ironically enough, its this young man's best friend." Dr. Covington says. **

** "You mean Harry Potter?" Nurse Maia asks looking from the boy to the doctor. The boy seemed about the same age as the famous Potter boy would be. **

** "Indeed I do." Dr. Covington says. **

** "Still, he's been here for a week now and he's only now beginning to stir. I wonder how long he'll be like this if he was knocked out for a week." Nurse Maia says. **

** "Patience, my dear lady, after all, you chose to work with children, and in the psyche ward, no less." Dr. Covington says. **

** "The pay is fabulous, the job is tedious." Nurse Maia says. **

** "You must be passionate about your work. Nurse Maia, this is a boy, not even sixteen, and he's suffered very badly. We hear about what he is capable of. Just because he does not come here doesn't mean he can't. I fear that if he does gain control of the British, we will be at his mercy." Dr. Covington says. **

** "Voldemort would never come here. He hasn't even conquered Britain, because of that great wizard Dumbledore. He hasn't even killed the Potter boy yet. Why would he start something here if he can't manage to kill a teenager and an old man?" Nurse Maia asks. **

** "You forget that both Dumbledore and the Potter boy hold great power. All Voldemort would have to do to destroy us is tell the muggles. There'd be mass riot, nobody would know who was what and the muggles with power would hang anybody they thought fit the type." Dr. Covington says. **

** "Ah, but the muggles trust us. Half of us are married to muggles, or have you forgotten?" Nurse Maia asks. **

** "Maia, your husband would have you killed for riches. To some people the world only revolves around money." Dr. Covington says. **

** "I got your point I'll be patient." Nurse Maia says… this was her way of ending the conversation. **

** "And learn to care." Dr. Covington says. **

**Nurse Maia returns to Ron with the goblet of potion. **

** "No, leave me alone… stop… please stop. I can't…" Ron cried and was struggling against the restraints that held him bound to the bed. **

** "Ron, drink this and you'll feel better." Nurse Maia says magically making the bed bend so that he was sitting up a bit more. **

** "No! No, you can't make me, I won't take anything you give me." Ron cried trying to move his arms still. **

** Nurse Maia realized that Ron just heard her. "Ron? Ron sweetheart, you're at a hospital now, and if you could just open your eyes, I promise you there's nothing to be scared of…" Nurse Maia says. **

** "Where are you?" Ron asks. **

** "Open your eyes… you'll see me." Nurse Maia says putting the goblet down on the bedside table. **

** "My eyes are open. There's only bad wizards here, please help me." Ron cries. **

** Nurse Maia opened his eyes for him, prying his eyelids apart with her fingers. He yelled and closed his eyes tight. **

** "Ron, if you just open your eyes, there aren't any dark wizards here." Nurse Maia says. **

** Ron slowly opened his eyes again. The painful lights made him close them tightly again. All he saw was white, a painfully bright white light. His world was blurring back again he was going back into the kitchen. That lady wouldn't be able to save him now. Tears ran down his eyes. **

** "Ron, open your eyes again." The lady's voice called again. She hadn't left him, but neither had Voldemort and the death eaters. **

** "Too painful." Ron cries. **

** "I'll make it less painful if you tell me where you hurt…" Nurse Maia says. **

** "The light hurts my eyes, there's nothing but white." Ron cries. **

**Ron heard her say something vaguely in the distance, but it wasn't to him… Voldemort was talking to him. 'If you tell us, we won't kill your little mudblood girlfriend on the holidays… think about it, who means more? Potter or Granger? Potter or Granger?' **

** "Mione…" Ron cries. He could see them killing her parents and then killing her. He heard her voice. **

**"You killed me Ron! I see how much I meant to you, not as much as Harry, obviously! You're a traitor, and I hate you!" **

**"No Hermione! I'm sorry! I'll take it back! Please!" Ron sobs. He saw her hand reach out to him. **

**"I don't want to die Ron! Please save me!" Hermione's eyes were wide with tears of fear. **

**Ron struggled but couldn't grab her hand, his arms wouldn't move as much as he tried. **

**Hermione fell off a cliff… "You could've saved me." She cried. **

**"I want to die!" Ron sobs. **

**The other voice returned, "Ron open your eyes now, the light is off." **

**He felt something pull his eyelids apart. He was cold wherever he was, but the lights were dimmed and it wasn't painful. Though he was scared very scared. Everything was dark, he couldn't see anything but white, even though everything was dark, his surroundings seemed to be white. The walls, if that's what they were, were white… the ceiling was white, whatever he was laying on was white, and he looked down at himself… the blanket, the only thing covering his naked self was white. **

**Then his vision became clearer. The walls weren't walls; they were curtains, like those in Madam Pomfrey's hospital wing. He was lying on a hospital bed, but he knew it wasn't at Hogwarts. From the accents he heard, he got the feeling he wasn't in Great Britain anymore. **

**Ron heard someone whisper an incantation and his arms were released. Then he turned his head, which was hard for his aching neck, to the side and saw a lady who was obviously a medi-wizard of some sort, was watching him. **

**"Welcome to America, drink this, please. You'll feel much better." Nurse Maia says. **

**Ron took the goblet from her with a very shaky hand. She took it back from him just before he was about to drop it. **

**"Sorry." Ron says looking down with embarrassment. He must be extremely weak if he couldn't hold a goblet. **

**"It's perfectly all right. Maybe you should let me help you, though." Nurse Maia says. **

**Ron looks at her unsurely. **

**"Hold on a second, don't close your eyes until I get back." Nurse Maia says. **

**It was more than a second, Ron knew. Nurse Maia must've been gone twenty minutes before returning with a box of plastic straws. She took one out and placed it in Ron's goblet. She held the goblet in front of him and waited patiently for him to drink it, yet he hesitated. **

**"What is it?" Ron asks. **

**"A straw. You can sip the potion through it." Nurse Maia says. **

**"No, I meant what's in the goblet?" Ron asks. **

**"Oh, calming potion." Nurse Maia says. **

**Ron hesitated before taking a sip. "Are you sure this is a potion? It tastes like tea only cold, and it's good." Ron says continuing to drink the potion. **

**"We enchanted it to taste like Iced Tea." Nurse Maia says. **

**Ron finished the potion, and it did its job quickly. Ron who was excited about being in America and had millions of questions to ask, now felt like everything was slowing down, and he could only remember one question at a time. **

**"Madam? Would you mind if I ask you a few questions, since I'm in America, you said?" Ron asks. **

**"Of course not, as you're my only patient on this shift, I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have." Nurse Maia agrees. **

**"Thank you." Ron says. "Well, my first question is may I ask your name? I don't want to sound rude or anything by not knowing your name." **

**"Oh, I apologize for not introducing myself. I'm Nurse Maia." Nurse Maia says. **

**"What part of America am I in? Is it North, South, or Latin America?" Ron asks. **

**"We're in Salem, Massachusetts." Nurse Maia says. **

**"In the United States?" Ron asks. **

**She nodded. **

**"How did I get here? Why am I here?" Ron asks. **

**"Well, you were shipped here, because they believe you to be in danger in Britain right now." Nurse Maia says. **

**"Why?" Ron asks. **

**"A few aurors felt Voldemort might be coming after you, they felt that he knew you were alive, and you might know something that could ruin his plans." Nurse Maia says. **

**"Will I be able to go back to Hogwarts?" Ron asks. **

**"Yes, but not right away." Nurse Maia says. **

**"In two weeks?" Ron asks. **

**"No, I don't think so." Nurse Maia says. **

**"I'm going to have repeat my fifth year all over again." Ron mutters to himself. **

**"No, you're not… the reason you can't return to Hogwarts right away isn't because of your health. You need to stay here a bit to recover without all of the stress that Voldemort brings to Britain." Nurse Maia says. **

**"But still how will I get my work… fifth years take O.W.L.S this year and I need to be there." Ron says. **

**"The Salem Institution of Witchcraft and Wizardry will help you. You might even understand your studies more. There are two teachers in every class. We borrowed the idea from muggles. Magic is very important, they make sure you learn it one way or the other." Nurse Maia explains. **

**"When may I leave here?" Ron asks. **

**"We can't be sure just yet… Perhaps a week, or possibly a month." Nurse Maia says. **

**Ron looks down sadly, but he's reminded of something else that's bothered him since the morning. **

**"Where are my clothes?" Ron says pulling his blanket up. He wasn't cold, just embarrassed because his blanket was only just above his hips. **

**"We have them." Nurse Maia says. **

**"May I have them back?" Ron asks. **

**"Yes, I'll have Dr. Covington come back and help you dress." Nurse Maia says. **

**"No, thank you. I can dress myself." Ron insists. **

**"We don't want you to rush or strain yourself." Nurse Maia says. **

**"I won't. I can dress myself." Ron says determinedly. **

**"All right." Nurse Maia says. She leaves for a minute and returns with Ron's clothes and a male doctor follows her. **

**"Ron, this is Dr. Covington. He'll be outside your curtains incase you need help." Nurse Maia says. **

**"Thank you, but I'm sure I can dress by myself." Ron says. **

**"Just incase." Dr. Covington says. **

**Nurse Maia gives Ron his clothes before she leaves his bed, pulling the curtains shut. **

**Ron was able to pull his briefs on without getting out of bed. He pulled his sweater on just as easily. He got out of bed though to pull on his pants, and as he stood up the whole room spun. He grabbed on to the rail of his bed, waiting for it to pass. He felt somebody grab him by his elbow. He regained balance and the spinning stopped. He looked up to see the Dr. Covington he just met. **

**"Are you all right?" Dr. Covington asks. **

**"I'm fine." Ron says stubbornly. "I was just a bit dizzy is all." **

**Ron pulled on his pants to prove that he could do it. **

**"Thanks for catching me." Ron says reluctantly. **

**"We'll keep that between us." Dr. Covington says. **

**"Thank you." Ron says. **

**"Your welcome… listen, do you want to see your parents or your brothers? They've been here for a week now. They've been worried sick." Dr. Covington says. **

**"They're here?" Ron asks hopefully. **

**"Of course." Dr. Covington says. **

**"Which brothers are here?" Ron asks. **

**"I don't know their names? I know there's three of them." Dr. Covington says. **

**"Are two of them identical?" Ron asks. **

**"Well they all have red hair, but they don't look like twins." Dr. Covington says. **

**"Oh, well then it must be Bill, Charlie, and Percy… are they mad at me?" Ron asks suddenly. He remembered he killed his Grandfather. 'He would've been able to escape had you not been suspended.' Voldemort's voice echoed in his head. **

**"Not that I know of, if anything worried about you? I hate to remind you kiddo, but you almost died. In fact, you're supposed to be dead, or insane if you did wake up. You beat the odds, but we have yet to alert them of this. I think Maia's informing them now." Dr. Covington says. **

**Nurse Maia lead five Weasley's to see her patient who was sitting frightened, and worried waiting for their reaction. **

**"Ron, do you remember us?" Bill asks softly. **

**"Yes." Ron says. Thinking it best he reassure them that his memory was fine, he identified them. "You're Bill, there's Charlie, there's Percy, there's mum and there's dad." **

**Everyone sighed relief, and Mrs. Weasley let tears fall as she leaned down and hugged her son tightly. **

**"I'm so happy you're alive!" Mrs. Weasley sobs. "I'm so sorry for not being home with you." **

**"You're happy? You mean you're not angry?" Ron asks surprisingly. **

**"Why would I be angry?" Mrs. Weasley asks. **

**"Because… I got Grandfather killed, if I hadn't been suspended, he wouldn't have been there…" Ron says trailing off, ready for the blow to come. **

**"Your grandfather's fine. If we're mad at anybody its him for leaving you." Mr. Weasley says. **

**"But I made him go, it was my fault I was home in the first place, I guess I deserved it." Ron says. **

**"_No_, you didn't deserve it!" Percy says. **

**Ron knew he didn't deserve it if Percy said he didn't. **

**"I'm really sorry for getting suspended. I was trying to be good, I really was, but it didn't matter." Ron says softly. **

**"Look, that's past. Don't worry about it. How are you feeling?" Bill asks. **

**"I'm feeling much better, but I'm still a bit weak." Ron says embarrassed. **

**"That's nothing to be ashamed of, you'll get your strength back, you've been tortured and you haven't eaten anything for a week, since you've been asleep. It's expected of you to be weak. Your expectations were actually a lot worse, but still as long as you're alive and remember me that's all that matters." Charlie says. **

**"How could I forget your ugly face?" Ron teases. **

**"Yea, I agree it's hard not to remember something so hideous." Bill says playing along. **

**"Very funny, that's enough." Charlie says. **

**"I didn't mean anything by it, I just wanted to show you that I'm all right." Ron says. **

**"You mustn't be all right if you're apologizing. You're a stubborn kid, and you never apologize for anything." Charlie says. **

**"I'm all right really, I just didn't want you to hold a grudge against me." Ron says. **

**"Yea, you're all right then. You're starting an argument." Charlie says. **

**"No I'm not, you started it." Ron says. **

**Charlie laughs. **

**"Can I send an owl to Harry and Hermione, or the twins and Ginny?" Ron asks. **

**"No, you can't. Nobody's supposed to know you're alive." Mrs. Weasley says. **

**"What? Why not?" Ron cries. **

**"Some aurors at St. Mungo's felt you were in danger there, because You-know-who knew you were alive, and was possibly after you, because they think you know information that might ruin his plans if you did remember when you awoke. Though it was said you wouldn't awake, and…" Mr. Weasley trailed off squeezing his son's hand. **

**At first Ron wanted to pull away from anything touching him, in fear of the pain that Voldemort inflicted upon him. His father was squeezing his hand of his bad arm. Even though it was healed, Ron still winced as though it hurt him, though he was more scared, but his father was holding his hand, and it made him feel better. His father might forgive him now… forgive him for being proven wrong. Ron knew his father loved him, and he needed to know people cared about him right now. He wished Hermione cared about him. **

**"But he wouldn't come here, would he?" Ron asks. **

**"We don't want to take another chance of losing you. You just worry about recovering. You'll see them soon enough. We might be back home around Christmas." Mrs. Weasley says. **

**"Are you and dad staying with me?" Ron asks hopefully. **

**"Yes." Mr. Weasley says. **

**"Yes, and whether you care or not, Perce, Bill, and myself got a week off because of a death in the family." Charlie says. **

**"Who died?" Ron asks sarcastically. **

**"Are you telling the twins or Ginny that I died? Maybe they could tell Harry and Hermione, and maybe they could send me owls…" Ron says hopefully. **

**"We can't even tell Fred, George, or Ginny. We can't even tell Dumbledore. Rita Skeeter's all over the attack. We don't know how she gets her information, so we can't take a chance of her letting anybody know. You-know-who will find out and we just don't want to take another chance." Mrs. Weasley says blinking tears out of her eyes. **

**"This is going to be the hardest thing in the world to do… confirming what everybody thinks. I don't want to see Fred and George cry." Charlie says. **

**"Don't tell them then, please I don't want anybody to hurt over me." Ron says. **

**"We have to, Ron." Bill says softly. **

**"Make sure you cry, if Rita Skeeter is around using Polyjuice Potion or something, she'll know if it's real or not by your tears." Percy says. **

**"She's an illegal Animagus… a beetle." Ron says quickly. "Hermione found that out last spring and threatened to report her if she wrote again." **

**"So that's how she's been getting her stories. Look, we're going to go back to Hogwarts and get this over with now… We'll be back tomorrow." Bill says. **

**"You stay with us." Charlie says seriously to Ron. **

**"I will. Will you do something for me though? Tell Hermione that she might be interested in a book under my bed… I know you can't tell her I'm alive, but just say you got my last request or something, and tell her that I mentioned it or something, please?" Ron asks. **

**"I can do that." Charlie says. **

**"Thank you." Ron says. **

**"Stay strong. I'm going to kick your butt as soon as you're released for that ugly remark." Charlie teases. **

**Ron laughs. **

**Bill and Charlie climbed the stairs to the Gryffindor common room with red eyes and their throats dried. They pictured their brothers' reactions and their only sister's reaction. She and Ron were closest. This would be terribly hard, so they had already cried imagining it, to get the tears ready. **

**When they got to the portrait hole the fat lady wouldn't open. So they went to Dumbledore's office. The gargoyle sprang to life without them even having to say the password. Dumbledore seemed to have a foretelling of when something was really urgent and would have the door open without them even having a guess at the password. They let the spiral staircase take them up to Dumbledore's office and knocked on the door, before Professor McGonagall let them in. She had been previously talking with Professor Dumbledore and let them in. **

**"We apologize for disrupting your meeting Professors, but we need the password to the Gryffindor common room. The portrait of the fat lady won't let us in without it, and it's extremely important that we talk to our sister and brothers." Charlie swallows. **

**"Information about your brother?" Professor McGonagall asks. **

**"He's dead." Bill croaked. **

**Charlie covered his eyes and turned away as tears ran down his face. **

**Professor McGonagall opened the window for air as she choked, but Professor Dumbledore seemed to see the truth through Bill's eyes as he gave him a searching look. He said nothing about it, as he knew how serious the situation was. He nodded knowingly, before he gave a weak smile. He stood up. **

**"Professor McGonagall and myself will go with you." Professor Dumbledore said gravely. **

**They walked in an eerie silence to Gryffindor tower. They entered to find Hermione still in the same spot as before, sitting in a chair in front of the fireplace. Her eyes were still red and sad. She looked terrible. **

**"Has Hermione been to class since she found out?" Bill asks in a whisper to McGonagall. **

**Professor McGonagall shook her head. **

**"Hermione skipped a week of lessons?" Charlie asks in the same whispered tone that Bill used. **

**Professor McGonagall nodded. **

**The twins were joking around, but not as enthusiastically as usual. Harry was trying to do an essay at a table across the common room, but kept getting held up, as he had to stop and wipe his tears. Ginny was reading by the fire, though she looked as if she were merely staring at it, not reading it. **

**Fred stood up and turned around when he saw them. He didn't see the red eyes or how upset McGonagall looked. He only seemed to see his brothers and smiled hopefully. **

**"Bill, Charlie, I'm glad you're back. Tell me good news, how's Ron?" Fred asks. **

**Everybody was silent. Neville, Dean, and Seamus looked up anxiously. Harry turned around and looked as well. Angelina walked over to Fred comfortingly and wrapped an arm around him incase Bill and Charlie's eyes indicated something. **

**Bill walked over to Fred, Charlie walked over to George and Ginny. Everybody watched and waited with baited breath. **

**"Ron… passed away." Bill says his lip trembling. **

**"No, you're lying. You have to be! He can't have died. You said yourself, he was strong… he was fighting." Fred sobs. **

**"He was fighting. He was very strong… he just couldn't win. They killed him. They killed him slowly… they just weren't able to get help in time… The ministry wouldn't believe Grandfather or dad when he told them. If it weren't for a friend of mum's… he would've died sooner. He got a chance to fight…" Bill says. **

**"STUPID MINISTER OF MAGIC!" George yells and throws a glass plate that held pieces of pie earlier at the fireplace. The plate hit the fireplace with a crash and it broke into a million pieces as it dropped to the floor. **

**Charlie grabbed his wrists before he could do anymore damage. **

**"Stop, look at me. Nobody is to blame for this except You-know-who, himself. The Minister of Magic did nothing to help Ron, but he didn't kill him." Charlie says. **

**"This would've never happened if he hadn't been suspended!" George yells. **

**"George, this isn't Professor McGonagall's fault at all. It's not your fault professor. You are looking for someone to place the blame on. I can go through a list of names we could blame it on, but it won't change anything. You-know-who killed him, not Professor McGonagall, not some Slytherin rival he had, not even the Minister. It was You-know-who. Ron earned that suspension George. From everything he did from the start of the term to being in the forest, he earned himself one big punishment. He was completely out of control. I'm not saying he deserved to die, he didn't. We all know that. He needed discipline, and Grandfather was the only one who could control him. He was sent home, and things happen that nobody can control, nobody can predict. Nobody knew… if something else had taken place, then something else would've happened, but it didn't. The only person you can blame George is You-know-who." Charlie says. **

**"We never got to tell him all those cruel pranks we pulled, were just jokes… we were stupid and sorry. I mean the humiliation on his face was enough to punish us. He probably died hating us." Fred says. **

**"No, he didn't die hating you. The medi-wizards got him to wake up for maybe five minutes at the most, but we were able to talk to him. He was a bit incoherent, but we managed to make most of his words out. Mum knew you two would be hard on yourselves if you never got to say you were sorry, and she told him that no matter how cruel or careless you could be with your pranks, that you two were sorry, and that you did love him. He asked mum to thank you for him. He knew you didn't mean anything by it. It was your way of using your brains. He looked up to you two a lot, because you're funny and creative. He wouldn't want you to stop being yourselves because of him, and he said for you two to look after Ginny for him. He always thought that as his job. He kept mumbling protect Ginny… protect Ginny for me. He obviously meant you two, I guess he thought you were there… he was a bit incoherent like I said so he wasn't exactly there, but he cared about you Ginny, he kept saying it. You were very important to him." Bill says. **

**Ginny sobbed on to Charlie's shoulder. **

**"What else did he say?" Fred asks. **

**"We couldn't understand all of it he was mostly rambling." Bill says. **

**"Oh! Wait, remember he said something… it was about Hermione… what was it? Bill do you remember?" Charlie asks. **

**Everyone looked from the boys to Hermione. **

**"Oh, what was it? I forget…" Bill says biting his bottom lip and trying to concentrate. **

**"Oh, something about a book… by his bed? I think that's what he said. We could hardly understand him." Charlie says. **

**"Why don't you go check if there's a book around his bed. Maybe he was just saying three things at once." Bill says. **

**Hermione got up and walked upstairs to the fifth year boys' dormitory. She entered. She walked sluggishly and made no sound. There were tears in her eyes. **

**Professor McGonagall was too busy wiping her face with a handkerchief to count the boys or worry about Hermione being in a boys' dorm. **

**Hermione looked around Ron's four-poster bed. The bed was made the hangings were drawn. Nothing was on the bed, nothing was on the bedside table, and nothing was in his wardrobe. She fell to the floor crying, but then she decided to take a look under the bed. There it was a small book underneath. Hermione reached under and pulled it out. It was Ron's journal. She hugged it against her tightly. Something in there might tell her his feelings toward her. She pocketed the book in her robes and crossed the hall to her own dormitory, where she would read it. **

**Bill and Charlie stayed the night on the armchairs in the common room. The next morning when everybody left for lessons, Charlie and Bill knocked on the door to the fifth year girls' dormitory. **

**"Hermione?" Bill calls. **

**When she didn't answer they entered. Only Hermione was in the dorm. She was reading, but it wasn't a schoolbook. **

**"Hermione, what is it that you found in Ron's dormitory?" Bill asks. **

**"Ron." Hermione says as tears ran down her face. She held up the journal. "Everything Ron was thinking is in here." Hermione cries. **

**"I didn't know Ron kept a journal." Charlie says. **

**"He was scared… all this time. When he would panic, he'd get defensive. He said he wouldn't let anybody hurt him." Hermione says. **

**"I wonder why he would want you to have it." Bill says. **

**"I think he wanted me to understand." Hermione says. **

**"Look, if I know my brother and I do, I know he wouldn't want you moping about skipping classes just for him. He'd most likely think it decent of you, but it's best not to dwell… you haven't attended a single class in a week. I'm sure they're still reviewing, but you never know what you're missing. I'm sure they're teaching things that will be on the OWLS, you'll need to be ready." Charlie says. **

**"Hermione, I don't mean to rush you, but you've known he wasn't going to make it for a week now. Try and move on… as hard as it is…" Bill says. **

**"I've had a week to pray that I was wrong, but like Ron says, I'm always right. I hate being right all the time." Hermione cries. **

**Meanwhile, back in America Ron was trapped in a nightmare. He couldn't sleep peacefully anymore. Ron didn't even think he was sleeping. Everything was so realistic. **

**"PLEASE STOP!" Ron yells thrashing at an invisible person. **

**The medi-wizards who had him as their patient on the night shift ran over to him and magically restrained him to the bed. **

**"Wake up Ron, Ron wake up." Dr. Miller says. **

**Dr. Miller was a very compassionate female doctor who brushed Ron's damp red hair off his sweaty forehead. **

**"Please leave me alone." Ron whimpered. **

**"Mr. Weasley, your safe now sweetheart. Please wake up. Everything will be better." Dr. Miller assures him. **

**Ron squinted his eyes open and tears poured out of them. **

**"Make them stop. Please make them go away." Ron cries, looking everywhere and trying to break free of the invisible restraints. **

**Dr. Miller removed the restraints and hugged the patient tightly, allowing Ron to cry on her shoulder. **

**If Ron wasn't so exhausted and terrified, he might've been embarrassed to be breaking down and hugging a stranger. **

**Finally he stopped, but he kept rubbing his eyes awake, afraid to face the night. **

**"I'm sorry…" Ron cries to the stranger. Humiliation was overwhelming him. **

**"No, no don't be. Sweetheart, you suffered a great deal of trauma, you're allowed to cry." Dr. Miller says. **

**"I'm sorry, I don't know your name." Ron cries. **

**"I'm Dr. Caroline Miller. I must say it's an honor to meet such a strong patient as you Mr. Weasley." Dr. Miller says. **

**"I've never had anybody be honored to meet me… wow. You can call me Ron though." Ron says softly. **

**"All right, well it's very nice to meet you, unfortunate under the circumstances I must say though. May I ask what happened in your nightmare?" Dr. Miller asks. "You don't have to talk about it if you're not ready though." **

**"Everything that happened… happened again. I felt the pain all over. It wouldn't end. Why won't it stop?" Ron asks. **

**"You've suffered a great deal, sweetie… you see you've suffered so much trauma to your body and mind… you can't just forget about it. However, I can give you a helpful little thing I used to do when I had nightmares of witch persecution years ago." Dr. Miller says. **

**"Please tell me, I'll try anything." Ron cries. **

**"Whenever you have a nightmare, say one two three wake up… one two three wake up." Dr. Miller says. **

**"What if I don't wake up?" Ron asks. **

**"Somebody will be here to wake you up." Dr. Miller says. **

**"Will I still be er… mental when I return to Hogwarts?" Ron asks. **

**"You're not mental, dear… you're just reacting. Something like this won't go away just like that. I'm sure if you talk about it, after awhile you'll overcome it." Dr. Miller says. "Nobody can tell how much time it will take…" **

**"I guess I'll have to rely on that one two three wake up solution of yours." Ron says with a weak smile. **

**"It'll take time. Have patience." Dr. Miller says. **

**"That was never a vocabulary word that I liked." Ron says. **

**"If I were to give you something to maybe write your thoughts down in like a journal… maybe it would help you get it off your mind slightly, and it might help you understand." Dr. Miller says. **

**"I had a journal, but I left it at school." Ron says. **

**"I could give you one, it might help." Dr. Miller says. **

**"I don't think so." Ron says quickly. **

**"All right, remember one two three wake up then, and I'll be listening for you." Dr. Miller says. **

**"Thank you Dr. Miller." Ron says. **

**Ron stared at the curtains determined not to fall asleep, but out of his boredom, his eyes slipped shut and again he was in his own kitchen. **

**He saw his Grandfather struggle with them. Voldemort brought him to a chair and Ron slipped off of it. Now was his chance, he slipped under the table. He could see the door. He got to the door and jumped. It was a dead end. A death eater turned and made a grab for him. Ron ducked and ran for the stairs. If he could get up the stairs he could jump out a window and run for his life, because his life depended on his escape. The distance between him and the stairs seemed to lengthen even though he was running closer toward it. **

**'Please let me get there.' Ron prayed. 'Please, please I'm almost there…' Ron screamed and fell face first on to the stair biting hard on his busted lip. Voldemort had a hold of his ankle. Ron heard it snap. Ron screamed out in pain. Ron looked at Voldemort and saw his wand pointed at him. He flew back into something hard, and it broke beneath him. He was leaning against the back door. He only had to reach up to get out. **

**'Please let me escape… don't let there be anyone stopping me. Please…' Ron reached up and turned the handle… it was unlocked. With all his force he had in him he opened the door, forgetting his fear and pain… he was free! He was wrong however, as three death eaters came from out of nowhere, Ron wasn't looking around him to be honest. They covered his mouth shut with one of their hands. Two of them carried him in as he struggled violently against them. **

**'No!' He screamed though his voice was muffled. They forced him down in a chair and he was bound to it. 'No, please don't kill me… please don't.' Ron silently pleaded inside his head. **

**Voldemort's voice babbled inside his head. It seemed to becoming from a distance. Though the words he did hear clearly indicated he killed his Grandfather. **

**_"I didn't kill him! You did!"_ Ron cried. Voldemort reminded him that if he hadn't been suspended, his Grandfather could've easily escaped. **

**'I'm sorry… it is my fault… I'm sorry… I do deserve to die.' Ron's mind cried. He wouldn't give Voldemort the satisfaction of hearing him admit it though. **

**_"He wouldn't have been killed if you hadn't come in the first place!" _Ron says. **

**Ron may have been to blame for being under his Grandfather's care, but he didn't murder him… he may have been an asset to the murder, but he didn't commit it. Still he had a tremendous amount of guilt on his chest because of it. **

**Ron remembered hearing Voldemort say something about stubborn and pain.** **Ron knew what was about to happen. **

**'Please help me.' Ron cried to himself deep inside. **

**_"CRUCIO!" _Voldemort's yell echoed in his head. **

**The pain was returning in full measure… he could feel his bones make a sickening crunch as they broke… he could feel the skin on his back being sliced off with a knife… he could feel somebody stabbing him… the fire was before him… he was going to be burned alive… **

**"One, two, three wake up! One, two, three wake up!" Ron cried to himself. The fire just burned more… "One, two, three wake up!" Ron cried again. **

**To no good did the doctor's words do. Ron must've been awake and back in the kitchen. Nobody could help him. **

**Then, it stopped. Ron couldn't stop shaking… his breathing was too fast and heavy to be normal… he was sweating madly. His ankle hurt… it was throbbing painfully. **

**_ "Did you like that boy? Because if you don't answer my questions, you're going to get that a lot."_ Voldemort hisses.**

**Why did Ron have to be friends with Harry?**

**'I won't say anything…' A voice in Ron's mind was made up. Ron was panting trying to catch his breath. **

** _"I won't answer anything you want to know!"_ Ron heard himself cry. **

** 'Why are you being so stupid? You should've let them figure it out for themselves. You're only causing yourself more pain!' A voice cried in his head. **

** 'Shut up.' He said to himself. He was losing his sanity to voices in his head, before Voldemort could take it from him. **

**_ "Oh, but I think you will. Let me remind you of the consequence of not answering me, the dark lord, the most powerful wizard there is!"_ Voldemort says. **

** 'Not again, please not again.' Ron cried to himself. He was shaking madly. **

** _"You're not the most powerful wizard, you're still afraid of Dumbledore! He's the most powerful wizard there is."_ Ron heard himself yell with all the breath he could muster. **

** 'Why did I waste my breath?' Ron cries to himself. **

** Ron sees Voldemort's evil smile disappear. **

** 'Here's the end…' Ron thought to himself. **

**_ "CRUCIO!"_ Voldemort cries. **

** Ron was screaming in pain… **

** Ron sat up sweating madly and shaking. Everything was blurry. He was soaked, but not all of it was his sweat. Somebody had dumped a pitcher of water over his face. He wasn't in his kitchen anymore. He was back at the hospital. Ron was panting, trying to catch his breath. **

** Finally, his vision was clear and he could see that his parents were next to him. His mother was crying, his father's eyes were teary and though he tried not to cry in front of his son, it was apparent that he had cried, because of the smeared tears on his face. **

** Dr. Covington was back. It must've been early morning judging by the sky he could see from the window it was dark, but not night, and his parents weren't allowed to be with him with the exception of visiting hours. Ron looked down at the doctor's watch, but it didn't help, because Ron had to strain his eyes to see, and, as it wasn't digital it was even harder. Ron's head hurt too much to strain his eyes so he gave up. **

** "It's eleven o'clock." Dr. Covington says. **

** Ron thought he could read minds. **

** "If that's what you wanted to know. I saw you looking at my watch. Don't strain your eyes just ask. I promise not to bite." Dr. Covington says. **

** "Eleven o'clock at night? I've slept the day away?" Ron asks. **

** "No, in the morning." Dr. Covington says. **

** "But the sky is too dark to be morning." Ron says looking at the window again. **

** "It's about to storm." Dr. Covington says. **

** "Oh." Ron says feeling foolish. Ron turns to his father. "What time is it back home?" **

** Mr. Weasley checks his watch, before answering in a hoarse voice, "Five." **

** "Wow, I overslept." Ron says. **

** "Dr. Miller said you were up most of the night." Dr. Covington says drying Ron off with a flick of his wand. **

** "Thanks." Ron says. **

** "You're welcome." Dr. Covington says. **

** Nurse Maia came in with a goblet of potion. Dr. Covington takes it from her and hands it to Ron. "Drink this." **

** Ron took it shakily. Nurse Maia took it out of his hands. She opened a drawer and pulled out a box of straws. She placed one in the goblet and held the goblet in front of Ron. **

** "Oh, I completely forgot." Dr. Covington says realizing his mistake. He reached down on the side of Ron's bed and pulled out a food tray. Nurse Maia placed the goblet on the tray and Ron drank the goblet dry, knowing it was the calming potion. **

** Ron felt humiliated as his parents watched him. He was weak, and now they knew it. They knew he was crazy. They had obviously witnessed the nightmare. **

** "Are you hungry?" Dr. Covington asks. **

** "Extremely." Ron says. **

** "All right. What kind of cereal do you prefer?" Dr. Covington asks. **

** "What's cereal?" Ron asks. **

** "It's a breakfast food. Let me get you a bowl, and you see if you like it." Nurse Maia says. **

** After having two bowls of Honey Nut Cheerios, Ron was allowed to get up and start walking around. There were hardly any patients and Ron walked up and down the halls with his parents right behind him. They still didn't say anything to him, unsure as what to say. Ron didn't feel as weak when he walked up and down the corridors, it was nice to know his legs still worked, and it felt good to let them stretch since they were cramped up all this time. **

** Ron stopped walking when he saw a graveyard in the distance from one of the windows. He looked at his parents. **

** "Are you upset with me?" Ron asks. **

** "No, Ron, we're not upset with you in the slightest. We just saw your pain… we saw it when you had your nightmare. We just wish we could take it away for you, but we can't. I saw you struggle to hold that goblet without dropping it. You never had to do that before. You never had to deal with so much pain, and you never had nightmares that you couldn't get out of before. Everybody tried waking you. You tried waking yourself… one, two, three wake up… I hate knowing you have to suffer that torture, that pain over and over again. You're my son, you don't deserve this." Mr. Weasley says. **

** Ron hugged his father and cried. "You're not ashamed of me, you're not embarrassed because of me?" Ron asks. **

** "No, we love you, and we're proud of you." Mr. Weasley says. **

** "Sweetheart, if you could never get out of bed again… I wouldn't care, because you're alive and you remember us. It was my biggest fear that you might wake up and not remember me. It was an even bigger fear that you died… when your father told me what he had seen when they got you out of the burrow, I prayed that you'd live, though I thought it would be really selfish, because now you have to suffer all this pain. You have to go through pain that fifteen-year-olds shouldn't have too." Mrs. Weasley says. **

** "We're proud of you that you came through this far… you fought to live… you're stronger than I could ever be. I'm very proud of you." Mr. Weasley says. **

** Ron never remembered crying more. His parents were proud of him, something he had wanted of them his whole life. He wasn't sure whether it was worth Voldemort's torture though… then he decided it was, it was worth everything_._**


	14. A New Life

**Chapter Thirteen**

**A New Life **

**Author's Note: I know this is different, but don't worry we'll be back at Hogwarts soon! Thanks for all your reviews! I'm glad everyone's enjoying the story. I hope I didn't mess it up with this chapter.**

** Ron was able to leave the hospital on his fourth day of being awake. He would have to take sleeping potions nightly and calming potions daily for at least two weeks. The sleeping potions would allow him to get a good night's sleep without the nightmares. The calming potions would keep him relaxed during the day. Once he had been able to eat and drink regularly, his strength returned to him. His parents had purchased a cabin not far from the hospital in Salem. They had no choice but to borrow money from Grandfather, but Grandfather felt he owed it to them.**

**Ron would start his learning in Salem on Monday, but for now he had the whole weekend to relax and spend with his parents. Ron was supposed to do nothing but rest, but Ron couldn't stand resting anymore. Ron convinced his father to let him fish as there was a pond out back, and fishing rods were left in the closet. Ron knew there was no use for fish, if your mother could just magic food, but he wanted to be outdoors, doing something, and spending time with his father. **

**It was quite fun learning with his father how to fish. After all, fishing was a muggle thing, and Mr. Weasley was fascinated with muggle things. It took them quite a while to figure out what they were supposed to do, but they used their logic and made sense of it. Ron competed against his father to see who could catch more fish. His father caught more, though Ron swore the same fish just let himself get caught over and over. They didn't kill the fish, as they had no use for them; they caught them, and threw them back in. **

**They came inside just as Mrs. Weasley was placing dinner on the table. Ron noticed that there was five plates set instead of three. **

**"Why two extra plates?" Ron asks. **

**"Because we're hungry too." Bill's voice answered from the living room. **

**"What are you two doing here?" Ron asks. **

**"It's nice to see you to. I'm so glad we came to see if you were all right." Charlie jokes. **

**"Trying to haunt me with that ugly face of yours?" Ron jokes. **

**Bill laughs. Charlie drops his jaw in shock. **

**"You're lucky your hurt or I'd hurt you." Charlie says. **

**"You'd try and hurt me, you mean. Maybe you didn't notice, but I'm out of the hospital." Ron says. **

**"Bad move." Bill says. **

**Charlie gets up and chases Ron out of the house. **

**"Charlie!" Mrs. Weasley yells from the window. "Charlie, don't you hurt him!" **

**Bill walks over to the window to see Charlie picking Ron up in the air. Mrs. Weasley banged on the window trying to get Charlie's attention. "Charlie!" **

**Charlie brought Ron to the ground and tickled him endlessly for minutes. Finally, after Ron took his ugly remark back, Charlie got tired of tickling Ron and stopped. Ron ran in the house clutching his rib. **

**Charlie followed him in the house. **

**"Charlie! You can't horse around like that! Your brother's been through a lot of trauma. He can't be straining his body. He's not supposed to be running, he's supposed to be resting." Mrs. Weasley reminded him. **

**"Mum, relax. We were just having a bit of fun. Ron's been cooped up for days in the hospital. He's got a lot of energy in him. He's like a puppy." Charlie says. **

**"Don't compare me to an animal." Ron says. **

**"Or what?" Charlie asks. **

**"Or Bill said he would kick you're a- butt." Ron says. **

**"Oh, did he?" Charlie asks. **

**"Charlie, that's enough. Boys, dinner is ready." Mrs. Weasley says. **

**They all sat around the wooden table in the kitchen of the cabin. **

**"Did you tell Hermione about the book I left her?" Ron asks taking a bite of mashed potatoes. **

**"Yes… speaking of Hermione, she hasn't attended a single class since she got the Daily Prophet. She beat the stuffing out of Malfoy." Charlie says. **

**"Did she really?" Ron asks amused. **

**"From what I heard, she made quite a scene." Bill says. **

**"The boys, and Ginny didn't find out from her, did they?" Mrs. Weasley asks. **

**"No. They knew something was wrong, but they didn't know what was happening." Bill says. **

**"Did you tell Professor Dumbledore?" Mr. Weasley asks. **

**"Yes, we told him, but I think he saw through me." Bill says. **

**"As long as he doesn't say anything." Mr. Weasley says. **

**"Weren't you supposed to come back days ago?" Ron asks. **

**"Yes, but we gave it time, incase anyone was tracking us. They'd expect us to come back the next day." Bill says. **

**"Oh." Ron says. **

**"Where's Percy?" Charlie asks. **

**"He went home. He had to tell Fudge that he no longer thinks he's right. He said he was going to see if he could repair any of the damage to the burrow." Mrs. Weasley explains. **

**Ron shuddered at the thought of the burrow. Mr. Weasley must've noticed because he asked, "Ron, are you all right?" **

**Ron forced a weak smile. "Yes, I'm all right." Ron says. **

**Bill noticed that Ron had gone pale quickly too, but he didn't want his parents to press him. It was obvious Ron didn't want to talk. **

**"Fred and George… I don't think they've ever been madder or sadder. George threw a plate and broke it, he was blaming everybody, and Fred was very apologetic. He thought you died hating them." Bill says. **

**"I never hated them… I told them I did when they covered my room in tarantulas, but I was exhausted at the time, and I hate spiders. We made up though. Like we always do. They should know that if I ever held a grudge against them I wouldn't be speaking to them, but we're always talking after a day or so." Ron says. **

**"Yea I told them that you had a few last words… said you looked up to them with their creativity and their sense of humor. I said you wanted them to look after Ginny for you. I told Ginny that she was very important to you, I said you were worried about her more than anybody." Bill says. **

**"And Hermione got the book?" Ron asks. **

**"Yes." Charlie says. **

**"Good." Ron says. **

**Across the Atlantic Ocean back at Hogwarts, Hermione read the entries of Ron's journal. **

**_ I've been insulted more times than I want to remember about being poor, but nobody's insult came as painful as when Hermione insulted me. I used to just think people were just jealous because they don't have as many cool brothers as I do. Even though it was a bit embarrassing to have my ankles show when I outgrew somebody's old pants. If I could change my life to have a Gringotts bank account all at the expense of my large family, I wouldn't. I hardly knew anybody besides my family growing up, and friends I did have, weren't nearly as entertaining as Fred and George. _**

**_ As much as Ginny annoys me by tagging along all the time… I know it would be the end of the world if something happened to her. Being her older brother I feel it my responsibility to protect her, look out for her…I remember taking the blame for actions Ginny did, even if I was mad at her I would spare her a lecture, because her eyes were full of fear, and mum was always softest on me. _**

**_ Still, Hermione caused me pain when she said everything. Her words were full of hate. I don't know whether or not I deserve it. I called her a bitch and said she was jealous of Padma. I thought she was, the way she acted when I was with her indicated to me that she was. Maybe I just hoped she was, though she would definitely not admit it with four other boys in the room. Still her words echo within my head._**

_**'I can't believe how stupid you are; I don't know why I chose to be friends with somebody as dumb as you! You know what, I don't want to be friends with you anymore! In fact, I don't want to talk to you again! I'm sure you'll benefit from this, because you won't have to get me a birthday present, not that you could afford to buy anything anyway!' **_

_**I don't deserve to be friends with somebody as brilliant as Hermione. She's too good for me. Maybe the reason I always argue with her is because I'm insecure around her. We've been friends since we knocked out a troll in our first year, but I think she only ever became friends with me because I was a friend to Harry. I just feel stupid when she's around. Nobody's smarter than her, especially not me. I could be smart; I just choose not to be. I don't like reading, at least not for educational purposes. I know I could never read as much as her. **_

** _I'm starting to wonder whether Harry's too good of a person to be friends with me as well. I always wondered… but he's always had my back, except when I said or did something stupid to make us stop talking._**

** Hermione shut the book and tears ran down her face. Harry entered the common room and saw Hermione hugging the book tightly against her chest.**

** "You've missed ten days worth of lessons. Do you realize that?" Harry asks.**

**"Only nine. I'll catch up on Monday." Hermione says throatily. **

**"Is there anything in there about me?" Harry asks. **

**"Do you know that he thought we were too good to be friends with him?" Hermione asks. **

**"He always was insecure about himself." Harry says sadly. "You know I don't know what's worse… not being best friends with him when he died, or being best friends with him when he died." **

**Harry wiped his own tears away from his eyes. **

**"You'd think it be easier with him ending friendships with us before he died, but it makes me feel ten times more guilty. I ruined the friendship between him and I. I ruined it for you two." Hermione says. **

**"You don't think it was something else? I don't know why he stopped being friends with me, but I don't think that Ron would end his friendship with me just because of you." Harry says. "Maybe it says something in there?" **

**Hermione opened the journal. It would be an entry late in September… no the middle of September, because it was before her birthday. She found it. **

** _It seems as if everyday is getting worse. I wonder if things would've been good still if I had only listened to Hermione and not messed with Padma. Then I wouldn't have agreed with Sirius' wish, if I didn't have Padma as a last resort, but now that I don't, I still can't see myself going against Sirius' wishes in leaving Harry alone. Padma dumped me… she dumped me. I didn't dump her like Parvati says. I don't think I could be so cruel, but it doesn't matter. I think I'm better off with not dating anybody else this year._**

_**Why hadn't I listened to Hermione? Padma is only trouble. Perhaps if I hadn't gotten involved with Padma, Hermione and I would still be friends… perhaps I could tell her what Sirius said. Perhaps I wouldn't have agreed, because I wouldn't have had a girl in Ravenclaw. If I ever make up with her, I promise to never doubt her. I'll always listen to her. **_

_** Why did I listen to Sirius? 'Stay away from Harry… I don't want you around him. I mean it. I don't know what you're going through, but you're getting yourself into trouble, and Harry will end up following you there, only trouble for him could mean death…you got in a fight in Diagon Alley, he got in trouble for just being there. Harry's really upset about you and Hermione having another conflict. He's not sure if he can still be a friend to both of you. You two are adding too much weight on his shoulders. He's already got the Wizarding World's fate, Cedric's death, and his own parents' death on his shoulders. The last thing he needs is to choose sides. Do him a favor. Tell him to side with Hermione. She doesn't have any other friends. You have that girl in Ravenclaw. Don't be even more selfish. Think about Harry and Hermione. Please, for Harry's safety, stay away from him.'**_

** _I guess it was because I knew I was a burden that Harry didn't need I complied with Sirius' wishes. It was horrible to say what I did about Hermione having no friends. I didn't want to say it, and especially not meanly, but I had to, or they might've talked me into making up with them. I could never tell Harry that Sirius told me to stay away from him. As much as I hate Sirius for ending the best friendship I had, he's still all Harry has in a parental way. He's the person Harry needs, and I don't want Harry to be mad at Sirius because of our friendship. I just want… no I need a friend right now, but I have nobody anymore. And that's how it's got to be. I won't let anybody hurt me again._**

****

**Hermione's mind was battling over what she should tell Harry. Ron didn't want to tell Harry, but Hermione felt that Harry should know the truth. However, Ron was gone now, and the last thing Harry needed right now was to end his relationship with the closest thing he had to a father. **

**"I couldn't find anything else. I haven't read the whole thing yet. His entries are long for somebody who hates to write. If I read anything I'll let you know." Hermione assures Harry. **

**Monday came. Ron was enrolled into Salem's Institution of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He hadn't had a tour of the school, and he was definitely lost. It wasn't a castle, although it did look a bit medieval from being made out of stone and it had five floors with long corridors and classrooms on either side when you walked down the hallway. Along the walls of the hallways were lockers. Ron had never seen so many lockers in his life. **

**He had all of his books. Percy had brought Ron's trunk to America over the weekend. So foolishly Ron was walking down the halls of the school dragging his trunk. Luckily, he seemed to be late so no American students saw him lugging his trunk around. **

**Somebody was walking toward him from around the corner. As the footsteps of somebody in high heels got louder, the lady turned the corner and met Ron. The lady being in her fifties wore a black dress under black robes. She wore a witch's hat and looked curiously at Ron. **

**"Young man, your late for class." She says. **

**"Sorry madam, but I'm new here and I'm supposed to meet Professor Turner?" Ron asks. **

**"Oh, you must be Mr. Weasley." The lady says. **

**"Yes, madam. Are you Professor Turner?" Ron asks. **

**"No, I'm Mrs. Maloney, I'm the principal here at the Salem Institute. That would be your headmaster or mistress where you're from." Principal Maloney says. **

**"Oh, right." Ron says. **

**"Let's bring this up to your dorm, and then I'll show you to Ms. Turner's office." Principal Maloney says. **

**"All right." Ron says. **

**"What year are you?" Mrs. Maloney asks. **

**"I'm in my fifth year." Ron says. **

**"Fifth year… how old are you?" Mrs. Maloney asks. **

**"Fifteen madam." Ron says. **

**"When will you be sixteen?" Mrs. Maloney asks. **

**"March." Ron says. **

**"You're a sophomore." Mrs. Maloney says. **

**"Oh, isn't that a second year?" Ron asks confused. **

**"Yes, but we follow the muggle's schooling. We take witches and wizards out of muggle schooling when they're in sixth grade. The second and third years are thought to be going to middle school, which is 7th and 8th, and fourth years through seventh years are freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. We keep it like this, because during the summers when the kids go home if they meet any muggles they can just say that they're attending a junior high school or they're in their sophomore year in a school up north. Then they change the subject. We have a strict policy about magic and that is the muggles aren't to know about it. Unless you marry one, but even then you must make sure they don't slip. You will learn in History of Magic that Witches, and wizards suffered heavy persecution all because of some hysterical little puritan girls. Seventeen in all died back in 1792, because muggles are afraid of us. Back then; we didn't have schools in America to learn how to save ourselves." Mrs. Maloney explains. **

**They stop outside a door on the fifth floor. "Sophomores stay in here. This is their recreational room, where they stay when they want to hang out, before bed and classes. I think we'll put you in room ten." Mrs. Maloney opens the door that has the number ten on it. **

**There were ten beds inside this room five along each wall, and each bed had a good amount of space between each one. Each one had its own bedspread and such on it. It was not a Gryffindor dorm where there were five scarlet covered four-poster beds with hangings. They walked to the window where the only bed that didn't seem to belong to anybody was. It was right by the window too, and Ron could see willow trees below him. None of them looked like a Whomping Willow, which was good, because Ron didn't want to hear the branches beat up the ground all night. **

**Ron left his trunk beside his bed after getting all of his books out, not knowing his schedule and placing them in his bag. He followed the principal down the staircases and followed her into the front office. She brought him back behind the secretary's desk and showed him into a room, which had a sign that read: Guidance Counselor, on the door. A sign on the desk indicated that this was Ms. Turner's office. **

**Ms. Turner was a young lady in her early twenties who had long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. She wore a brown dress under brown robes. **

**"Ms. Turner, this is our new student, Mr. Weasley." Mrs. Maloney says. **

**"Oh good, I was afraid he wasn't coming. It's nice to meet you." Ms. Turner shook Ron's hand and was smiling sweetly at him. "Have a seat." **

**"He brought his things up to the sophomore dorm. You can help him with his locker and everything else." Mrs. Maloney says. **

**"Of course," Ms. Turner says. **

**"Well, Mr. Weasley it was a pleasure meeting you. If you'll excuse me I have business to attend to." Mrs. Maloney says. **

**"Of course, thanks for your help." Ron says shaking her hand. **

**Mrs. Maloney leaves. **

**"You have a fascinating accent." Ms. Turner says. **

**"Thanks, your accent is wicked as well." Ron says. **

**"Thank you too. Well, I'm the school's guidance counselor. I'm the person the students talk to when there's a problem. For example, if a student is having a problem with another student, then they come here and talk to me, and we try to resolve it. I'm here to listen any time you want to talk. Now, I understand you've been through an awful lot recently, so any time you feel up to talking about it, knock on my door. If I'm in a meeting with another student, I'll send you back to a lesson or your Rec room and I'll get you when I'm free." Ms. Turner says. **

**"All right." Ron says. **

**"Did you want to talk or get to class?" Ms. Turner asks. **

**"I should get to class, I've missed a lot of lessons already." Ron says. **

**"All right. Come with me. I'll let you put your books in your locker, and then I'll show you to your classroom." Ms. Turner says. **

**Ron followed Ms. Turner out of her office and into the main office. They stopped in front of a secretary. **

**"Ms. Bell, may I have Mr. Weasley's schedule please?" Ms. Turner asks. **

**Ms. Bell flicked her wand and a paper hung on the tip of it. Ms. Turner took it. **

**"Thank you Ms. Bell." Ms. Turner says. **

**Ms. Turner led Ron down the first floor hallway. They stopped at locker 599A. It was a top locker right next to a classroom. It took Ron about fifteen minutes to learn how to open a locker. They had to use combinations, and they couldn't be opened magically not even with Alohomora. This way a student couldn't break in a locker for valuables or a book if they had lost theirs. It had taken all of the witches and wizards a good amount of time their first year to learn how to open one. Ron learned that there was a locker 599A on each floor that belonged to him. It had the same combination and held anything he put in the locker on one floor on the others. So he could get his books on any floor he was on. The only time he would need to carry his books to a future class was for Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology, which always was outside. **

**Ron looks at his schedule. "Excuse me Ms. Turner. I don't take Muggle Studies, I took Divination back at Hogwarts." Ron says. **

**"Oh, you'll have Divination as well. It's on your schedule for tomorrow see? Muggle Studies is a required course." Ms. Turner says. **

**"Oh." Ron says. **

**"All right, well its Monday… Monday, Wednesday, and Friday have your more important courses for example Transfiguration, Potions, Herbology, Charms, and Defense Against The Dark Arts. Tuesdays and Thursdays you'll have History Of Magic, Astronomy, Divination, Care of Magical Creatures, and Muggle Studies." Ms. Turner explains. **

**"All Transfiguration and Potion Lessons are on the first floor. The second floor is where you'll have Charms and Defense Against The Dark Arts. The third floor is Divination and History of Magic, and the fourth floor is where Muggle Studies Lessons are. Astronomy classes are also on the fourth floor when the weather's bad." Ms. Turner explains. **

**"What if it isn't bad?" Ron asks. **

** "On the widow's walk. It's a rooftop walk way." Ms. Turner explains. "Your Herbology lessons and Care of Magical Creatures lessons will be taught outside, in the greenhouses, and at the zoo. Your classmates won't let you get lost. The fifth floor as you know is for the students' dormitories. If you have anymore questions, don't hesitate to ask me or one of your classmates."**

** She stops outside of a door. "This is Mr. Damore's room. He'll be your transfiguration teacher." Ms. Turner says as she knocks on the door.**

** "Come in." Mr. Damore calls.**

** She opens the door and enters, Ron slowly entered behind her to find a class of about twenty students.**

** "Hey Ms. Turner, you going to save me from these two? They're trying to make me do work!" A black boy who had cornrows jokes. The class laughs, and one of the teachers, Ron didn't know who he was started toward him. The boy let out a fake scream, causing the students to laugh even more.**

** "We're trying to make him do work, hence the word try, but we're failing miserably." The teacher at the front of the class says. He chucks a piece of chalk at the kid. The boy fakes another scream.**

** "Ms. Turner, they're trying to kill me!" He says.**

** "Now, before Ms. Turner was so _rudely _interrupted, she came to see me. Ms. Turner, how may I help you?" The teacher at the front of the desk asks.**

** "Yea, you'd be begging her to come see you." The boy jokes reminding Ron of Fred and George, only nobody could be as close to teachers without getting a detention, as this kid was with these two teachers.**

** The teacher chucks another piece of chalk at him.**

** "How can I help you Ms. Turner?" The teacher asks.**

** "Mr. Damore," Ms. Turner says to the teacher standing behind his desk, she turns to the teacher who was in between students' desks, "Mr. Ridgeway, you have a new student. This is Ron Weasley, he's from Hogwarts over in Britain, and he'll be with us for a month or two..." Ms. Turner began. She was about to say more, but the boy with the cornrows spoke up.**

** "For real, he's from England? Does he got a British accent?" He asks.**

** "Does your mouth ever shut?" Mr. Ridgeway asks covering his mouth with his hand.**

** The boy pulled back, before saying, "No."**

** Mr. Ridgeway walked away from the boy and walked toward the front of the classroom. **

** "Mr. Weasley it's a pleasure. I'm Mr. Ridgeway, that's Mr. Damore, and that kid over there is loud and obnoxious." Mr. Ridgeway says.**

** "Don't listen to a word he says, he's a liar." The boy says. He gets up out of his seat and walks to the front of the classroom. He offers Ron his hand. "I'm Derek Evans." Derek says.**

** Ron shakes his hand. "Ron Weasley."**

** "Who said you could be out of your seat Mr. Evans?" Mr. Damore asks.**

** Derek grins widely. "Ms. Turner did."**

** "Ooh, I smell a write-up… being disruptive…" Ms. Turner says.**

** "If we wrote him up every time he was being disruptive, he'd never be here, because he'd be serving a life time of detentions." Mr. Ridgeway says.**

** "Me, disruptive? Never." Derek says.**

** "Its your middle name." Mr. Damore says.**

** "Thank you Ms. Turner." Mr. Ridgeway says letting her leave.**

** "Mr. Weasley why don't you have a seat next to Mr. Evans? No, wait… I take that back. We need to move somebody. The reason that seat is always empty, is because nobody can get any work done sitting next to him." Mr. Damore says.**

** "No, it's because you always throw chalk at me, and you have bad aim and hit that seat instead of me." Derek says. "But its cool, he won't throw chalk at me if you're sitting there. So sit next to me."**

** "Mr. Weasley, if you don't mind sit there, and if he bothers you, we'll move him." Mr. Ridgeway says.**

** Ron took a seat next to Derek.**

** "All right, let's see… Mr. Weasley, what were you learning in Transfiguration at Hogwarts?" Mr. Damore asks.**

** "We were learning how to become Animagi." Ron says.**

** "So you know how to turn yourself into an animal?" Mr. Damore asks.**

** "No, we were reviewing how to change things perfectly. Our professor didn't want us taking chances." Ron says.**

** "Could you give us an example of what you were transfiguring?" Mr. Damore asks.**

** "A table into a horse… a bird into a feather." Ron says.**

** "All right, it shouldn't take you too long to catch up. Why don't you go with Mr. Ridgeway into the library?" Mr. Damore offers.**

** "Yes sir." Ron says.**

** Ron follows Mr. Ridgeway out of the classroom.**

** It was the end of the class when Ron returned with Mr. Ridgeway. Only, he wasn't human anymore.**

** "Well, how'd it go?" Mr. Damore asks looking at the door for some sign of Ron.**

** "No way!" Derek exclaims as he stood up. He saw the red fox shyly enter the room.**

** "Well, Mr. Weasley, can you change back?" Mr. Damore asks.**

** Ron turned back into his human form.**

** "Well, we have a new Animagus. Mr. Weasley, you may continue to catch up tomorrow. Ms. Green, will you show Mr. Weasley to his next class?" Mr. Ridgeway asks.**

** "Of course." A sweet brunette assures him.**

** "I can." Derek offers.**

** "Ms. Green will." Mr. Ridgeway says.**

** "I see how it is." Derek says.**

** The young brunette walked over to Ron. "I'm Jade Green. It's nice to meet you." Jade says shaking Ron's hand.**

** "A pleasure to meet you as well." Ron says. He pulls out his schedule. "I have potions now. Where's Professor- I mean where's this person's room?" Ron asks. He wasn't sure if it was a male or female.**

** "You have potions with Mr. Williams now." Jade says.**

** "What do you have?" Ron asks.**

** "Potions, only with Ms. Costello." Jade says. "I'll show you to Mr. Williams' room."**

** "No need, I can do it. I got Williams too." Derek says.**

** "I pity you." Jade says to Ron. She leaves for her own class. Ron follows Derek into a Potions classroom.**

** "You can be my partner in Potions if you want. I don't got a partner, because it was an odd numbered class, and everybody wants to avoid trouble, so they avoid me." Derek says.**

** "Are you sure you don't mind? I'm not the best in Potions, I never listened to my Professor at Hogwarts… he hated me, gave me detentions all the time." Ron explains.**

** "You should've gone to the guidance counselor." Derek says. "I'm a best friend with all the teachers."**

** "We don't have guidance counselors at my school. Besides, he's mean to all students who aren't his own." Ron says.**

** "What do you mean? Over here, teachers aren't allowed to teach their own kids. That's why there's so many different classes." Derek explains.**

** "There's four houses at Hogwarts, my school… Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. The head of the houses are in charge of whoever's in their house. Professor Snape favored Slytherins and hated everyone else." Ron says.**

** "Oh yea, we read about that school in History of Magic." Derek says. "Don't worry, this teacher's cool. Even I get passing grades in this class. I just get them loudly."**

** Two teachers, a black male and a white female entered the room with cups of coffee in their hands.**

** "What you didn't bring me a cup? You know the rules, you can't have it unless there's enough for everyone, or there's the exception of just Derek, but…" Derek jokes.**

** "We only drink coffee in this class, because you're in it." The female teacher says.**

** "Yo, Mr. Jones, Ms. White, did you not notice that somebody's sitting next to me, and every chair in the room is filled?" Derek asks.**

** They see Ron and put their mugs of coffee down on the desk.**

** "He's new. This is Ron Weasley, that's Mr. Jones, and Ms. White." Derek introduces.**

** "A new student?" Ms. White asks.**

** "Come down here, and introduce yourself, young man." Mr. Jones says.**

** Ron made his way down to the front of the class.**

** "Where are you from?" Ms. White asks.**

** "Devon, in England." Ron answers.**

** "Oh, right. I heard Mrs. Maloney talking about you. You'll be with us for a couple of months, if I'm not mistaken. Tell us a little about yourself." Ms. White says.**

** "Like what?" Ron asks.**

** "They don't care, they just want you to talk so they can hear your accent." Derek says.**

** "Do you play Quidditch?" Mr. Jones asks.**

** "I was keeper for Gryffindor back at Hogwarts." Ron says.**

** "Tell us about your family? Do you come from a long line of wizards or is it half and half, muggleborn?" Ms. White asks.**

** "Long line of wizards." Ron says.**

** "Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Mr. Jones asks.**

** "Five older brothers and one little sister." Ron answers.**

** "Damn!" Derek says.**

** "Are they here?" Somebody in the class asks.**

** "No, they're back at Hogwarts." Ron says.**

** After about fifteen minutes of interrogation, Ron was allowed to sit back down, and he had a surprisingly enjoyable potions lesson. He and Derek even earned an A.**

** "We've got first lunch." Derek says and he shows Ron to the cafeteria, which was huge. There were tables everywhere.**

** "Grab a tray." Derek says grabbing his own tray and joining the lunch line.**

** Ron does the same.**

** "Do you want a ham or cheeseburger?" A house elf behind the counter asks.**

** "What are they?" Ron asks.**

** "A cheeseburger's just a hamburger with cheese." Derek explains over all the noise.**

** "I'll try a cheeseburger, I guess." Ron says.**

** The house elves gave him a cheeseburger and placed French fries on the side of his tray. They got to the end of the line where there was a choice of bottled water, chocolate milk, or white milk.**

** "We've got soda in the machines." Derek says.**

** Ron picks up water anyway. He follows Derek to a table.**

** "Are you sure you don't mind me sitting with you?" Ron asks.**

** "Not at all. Want a soda?" Derek asks pulling out some green paper, which Ron guessed was American muggle money.**

** "Er… no, thanks." Ron says holding up his water.**

** "It's on me, are you sure?" Derek asks.**

** "I'm sure." Ron says.**

** Derek gets up and runs over to a vending machine. He comes back with two Pepsis. He gives Ron one.**

** "Thanks, but no thanks." Ron says.**

** "Why not?" Derek asks. "Is this because you don't have American money?"**

** "It's because I don't have any money to pay you back." Ron whispers, turning red of embarrassment.**

** "Oh, my bad… I should've realized coming from a family of seven kids you wouldn't have a lot. Look, its my treat." Derek says.**

** "Are you sure?" Ron asks.**

** "Yea, man, it only cost me fifty cents." Derek says.**

** "Thanks." Ron says.**

** Three other boys joined them as Ron started on his cheeseburger. They all wore their own clothes under their robes. **

** "Ron, this is Doug, Dave, and Josh. Guys, this is Ron and he's from England." Derek introduces. Ron shook hands with Doug and Dave who were twins, they both were black with short curly hair, and then shook hands with Josh, who was white with brown hair.**

** "What's up?" Dave asks.**

** "Yes, they're twins," Josh answers before Ron could ask.**

** "Dumb and Dumber." Derek whispers.**

** "This boy must be new if he's hanging with you." Doug says.**

** "Just got here this morning." Derek says.**

** "Do you talk?" Dave asks.**

** "Yes." Ron says.**

** "So speak up." Josh says.**

** "What am I supposed to say?" Ron asks.**

** "Well, tell us about your school. Is it different than ours?" Doug asks.**

** "No, fool it's the same. Honestly, how dumb are you. Nothing in Europe is the same here." Dave says.**

** "It's funny, his lips didn't even move yet I heard somebody talking." Doug says.**

** "It's really different. We don't have guidance counselors; we have a headmaster, not a principal. Are school is broken up into four different houses. There's Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. A professor's a head of the house. Our Transfiguration professor was head of Gryffindor, the Herbology professor was head of Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw's head was the Astronomy professor, and the Potions Master was Slytherins head. Each house has their own students, and the head of their house is responsible for punishing you, which is lucky, because if the Slytherin's head of house could punish anybody, only his students would remain. He's bias. He likes his own students and hates the rest. He always took points from other houses and gave detentions to other houses. First day we went back I was mopping floors till three in the morning because I got into a fight with one of his students. The head of Gryffindor, my house was strict, but she was fair to everybody. The professors were nothing like the teachers you have here. I mean if Derek were to come to Hogwarts, he'd be suspended for being so disruptive. Not that he did anything wrong, but the Professors are really strict. I mean I learned a lot already, and I actually enjoyed Potions. Back at Hogwarts I'd be cursing the Professor's name under my breath, but the Potions teachers here are really good. I mean I'm actually learning something here." Ron says.**

** "Yo, that accent is awesome." Josh says.**

** "Thanks, your accent is pretty wicked as well." Ron says.**

** "We don't got an accent." Josh says.**

** "To him, we do, fool." Derek says smacking Josh upside his head.**

** "So, what brings you here?" Doug asks.**

** Before Ron could answer, Ms. Turner walks over to him and taps him on the shoulder.**

** "Excuse me, but when you're finished eating, I need you to come to my office." Ms. Turner says.**

** "All right." Ron says. He stands up. "What do I do with my tray?"**

** "You're not going to eat anymore?" Derek asks.**

** "No, I'm full." Ron says.**

** "Leave it here, I'll have your fries." Derek says.**

** "All right." Ron says. He follows Ms. Turner into her office.**

** "How were classes this morning, too slow? Too fast?" Ms. Turner asks.**

** "No they were great. I was behind in Transfiguration, but Mr. Ridgeway helped me catch up. In Potions I actually did well." Ron says.**

** "Was it harder at Hogwarts that you didn't do well?" Ms. Turner asks.**

** "No, you just couldn't ask the teacher for help or anything. Professor Snape, the potions teacher, was really bias." Ron says.**

** "Do you want to tell me what happened at your home when Voldemort came?" Ms. Turner asks.**

** "No madam, it's a long story and I have Herbology in ten minutes, it might take me ten minutes to find the right greenhouse." Ron says uncomfortably.**

** "Maybe later then. I'll see if you can talk after dinner." Ms. Turner says.**

** Ron leaves and goes to his locker. He couldn't remember his combination. He dug through his bag and found his schedule.**

** "All right, 13, 24 35…" Ron tries his combination, but it won't open.**

** Now he was going to be late. He tried the combination again his fingers were slipping.**

** After trying five times and not making any progress, Ron turned around in defeat. Now, he would have to get Ms. Turner for help.**

** Before Ron could take a step however, Derek and Josh were walking toward him.**

** "Hey, what's up?" Derek asks.**

** "My locker won't open. I did the combination five times, and it won't open." Ron says.**

** "Give me your schedule, I'll see what's wrong. Okay, locker 599A. Put in your combination, I'll see what you did wrong." Derek says.**

** Ron did it again.**

** "You stopped at the second number. You're supposed to go past it the first time, before stopping." Derek says.**

** "Oh." Ron says.**

** "It's cool though. We all make mistakes." Derek says.**

** Ron opens his locker and gets his Herbology book out.**

** After Herbology, Ron had Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts. He didn't find any class as interesting as the first two. After dinner, Ron went to the Rec room with the guys avoiding Ms. Turner's office. In the Rec room music was blasting from a radio. Derek was break dancing to the music.**

** "Talked Mrs. Maloney into letting us have a dance this weekend in honor, of you." Derek says.**

** Ron remembered the last dance he went to, the Yule Ball. "That's nice of you, but you shouldn't have." Ron says.**

** "Why not?" Derek asks.**

** "I don't dance." Ron says.**

** "You will. Don't worry. We won't let you go out there like a fool." Derek says.**

** "Well, I'm going to get to bed." Ron says.**

** "What? Why? What dorm are you in?" Derek asks.**

** "10." Ron says.**

** "Mrs. Maloney must've known." Derek says.**

** Ron assumed Derek shared the dorm too, but didn't say anymore as he went up to his dorm. He was already unpacked. He assumed houseelves did this, but didn't wonder long, as he fell asleep the minute he hit the bed.**

** The next morning he awoke to his alarm clock. He kicked the covers off of him, and took a shower before changing into his clothes. He went downstairs and got his book for History of Magic out of his locker. He found his History of Magic classroom, just as Derek as walking towards it. "I was wondering where you went." Derek says opening the door.**

** Unlike Professor Binns, the boring ghost who taught History of Magic at Hogwarts, Mr. O'Connor and Ms. Gable were very much alive and very enthusiastic.**

** "These are things you have to know that will be on the OWLS. It's not enough to read something, you have to learn it." They said starting up the class. They knew how to hold the class' attention, as Ron found out.**

** "…Now Emily is being held in a kitchen in China. In a few minutes, she'll end up in a take out bag. This is why they made the law that you must register to be an Animagus. The president of magic, and the minister of magic both couldn't save her, because they don't know she's an Animagus, and she can't turn into a human, because the Chinese muggle would know. What do you do? Emily was forced to turn into her human self, modify the muggle's memory and this caused problems with the Ministry of Magic in England, because that's where she was from... So from that time forward, they made a law for you to register your Animagus form. This way they can know if you're in trouble, if you need help. They can tell you where you should not be for a cat like Emily was you should not be in China in your Animagi form. If you were a dog, you could end up in the pound, or as a muggle's pet. So when you register your Animagus form, they will give you all the precautions that come with your form." Mr. O'Connor says very enthusiastically.**

** The bell rang.**

** "For homework read the next chapter of your book, and summarize it. We'll talk about it on Thursday." Ms. Gable says.**

** The class left for Divination or Arithmancy, whatever they chose. Ron and Derek headed toward Divination.**

** "What is this teacher like? Is she always predicting somebody's death?" Ron asks.**

** "No, she hasn't done that. You'll see what she's like." Derek says.**

** "Is she a phony?" Ron asks.**

** "No, but she is hard to understand. She's like a Chinese Fortune Cookie the way she speaks in philosophical phrases and such, but once you understand them, she's kind of right." Derek says.**

** They enter Ms. Langford's classroom. Ms. Langford first gave Ron an eerie feeling. They had tea, and they were supposed to read their future by the color of their smoke.**

** Derek's smoke turned a grayish blue, while Ron's turned a turquoise blue. **

** "What does this mean?" Ron whispers flipping through his book, but finding no answers.**

** "Ms. Langford, what page do you want us to turn to? I don't know how we're supposed to read our futures from colored smoke. Is it like a mood smoke or something?" Derek jokes.**

** Ms. Langford walks over to their table. "Indigo smoke, are you an Aquarius?" Ms. Langford asks.**

** "Yea." Derek says.**

** "Look up your horoscope." Ms. Langford says.**

** She pulls a seat up next to Ron.**

** "A Pisces?" Ms. Langford asks.**

** "Er… yes." Ron says nervously.**

** Ms. Langford studied him a moment, before smiling. "You are filled with life's most precious treasures…" Ms. Langford says standing up.**

** "Ms. Lang, what's that?" Derek asks interested.**

** "Hope." Ms. Langford says.**

** "What about me? I didn't get my 'words of advice' for the day yet!" Derek says.**

** "Don't ask, don't say. Everything lies in silence." Ms. Langford teases.**

** "Hey, you're just trying to get me to shut up." Derek says.**

** "Wow, you got that after about five seconds… now try and do it." Ms. Langford says.**

** "I shut up when you spoke." Derek mumbles.**

** Ron laughs. This Divination teacher was better than Trelawney, though Ron didn't really believe in Divination.**

** After Divination they went down to lunch, where Ms. Turner approached Ron. "Hey, weren't you supposed to see me last night?" Ms. Turner asks.**

** "Oh… sorry… I forgot." Ron says.**

** "It's okay. You can come talk to me when you're finished lunch." Ms. Turner says.**

** "All right." Ron says. Ron took his time eating and talking to the guys, so by the time he was finished it was time for Care of Magical Creatures.**

** Their class was held in a zoo. There were two teachers in this class. Mr. and Mrs. Hunter taught it.**

** They took ten minutes out of the class to interrogate Ron about the animals they learned about at Hogwarts, and asked if he had ever seen the kelpie, which takes shape as a sea serpent, referred to by muggles as the Loch Ness monster. They laughed when Ron told them that the majority of the animals they learned about were any of the dangerous ones. Then the teachers taught the class about Jarveys.**

** Mr. Hunter faked an Australian accent to sound like the muggle crocodile hunter. It entertained the class as they learned about the overgrown ferret looking creature that could talk like a parrot in short and rude phrases, but didn't have the wit to talk true conversation.**

** Mrs. Hunter walked into the Jarveys cage and pulled out a Jarvey from the ground.**

** For homework they were told to read and summarize the chapter about Jarveys.**

** Ron went inside with the rest of the class and went to the fourth floor where he'd be attending muggle studies. Derek warned Ron that this class was twice as long as any of the other classes, and they usually ate during class.**

** Ron entered the class and the two teachers greeted him warmly. "A new student? How lovely! I'm Ms. Hoffman, and this is Mr. Levine." Ms. Hoffman says.**

** "I'm Ron Weasley." Ron says.**

** "You're not from here, are you? You have an accent." Ms. Hoffman says.**

** "I'm from England." Ron says.**

** "Of course you are. What a pleasure it is to have you here… were you required to take muggle studies at your school in England?" Ms. Hoffman says.**

** "No, it was an option given to us in our third year." Ron says.**

** "Did you choose it?" Ms. Hoffman asks.**

** "No." Ron says.**

** "Well, you haven't missed too much… let's see we have four hours in every muggle studies class. Usually, we watch a movie, or we play a muggle game or sport, we always eat in here. We have muggle food brought up. Let's see, do you know anything about muggles?" Ms. Hoffman asks.**

** "They use cars, and use eckeltricity, plugs, and use phellytones?" Ron asks knowing he sounded dumb.**

** Everyone laughed.**

** "They use _electricity_, power that runs through wires, which are plugged into the walls. They use _telephones_ to call each other, and they do travel in vehicles, such as cars, trucks, motorcycles. Do you know any muggle sports?" Ms. Hoffman asks.**

** "Er, a friend of mine is muggleborn. He likes football. A game where they run back and forth kicking a ball in a net." Ron says.**

** "Yes, football, or _soccer_ as we call the game in America is a muggle sport." Ms. Hoffman writes this on the chalkboard.**

** "Anymore?" Ms. Hoffman asks.**

** "No. I come from a long line of wizards." Ron says.**

** "Who wants to help me out?" Ms. Hoffman asks.**

** "Basketball." Derek says.**

** Ms. Hoffman writes this on the board. **

** "Basketball is a game where there are two teams, and each has their own basket. The team wants to shoot the ball into the basket, but there's defense, on the other time who will try and stop them and give their ball the team." Mr. Levine explains.**

** They went through a list of sports: American football, hockey, lacrosse, volleyball, baseball, and tennis explaining how each sport worked.**

** "Now, you have perfect timing joining us today. You are just in time for our next project." Ms. Hoffman says.**

** All the students groaned.**

** "Yes a project, oh man, this project will be learning how to play a muggle instrument. Who can tell me what an instrument does?" Mr. Levine asks.**

** "All the people who are from muggle parentage are exempt from this class." Derek reminds them.**

** "Right, well you never know. Instruments such as a piano, a keyboard, a flute, a clarinet, a saxophone, a tuba, a horn, a bassoon, a guitar, or the drums make music, and up until Christmas break you are to pick one of these instruments to learn how to play, and then learn how to play." Mr. Levine says.**

** "Cool, so we got until Christmas just to pick which instrument we want to play? Easy assignment. I'll choose the day before we leave." Derek says.**

** "Oh, wouldn't you love that Mr. Evans, but no. You must learn how to play one song by Christmas break. Your grade depends on how long and well played the song is. We will be your music teachers. You'll only have eleven required classes to do this. Today we start… we got the 14th, 16th, 21st, Thanksgiving denies classes on the 23rd so you can't learn then… the 28th, the 30th, the 5th, 7th, 12th, 14th, 19th, and on the 21st you must be ready to play a song. We recommend that you sacrifice some weekends to learning." Mr. Levine says.**

** There was more groaning from the class as they got up and tested each instrument they wanted to try.**

** Ms. Hoffman and Mr. Levine recommended the keyboard to Ron so he could learn some of the muggle's technology, as it was electronic. The rest of class, they tested their instruments, and watched a movie about muggle music. It was called Mr. Holland's Opus. At six thirty Ms. Hoffman left the class who was sitting on beanbags or lying on the sofa watching Mr. Holland's Opus to go get dinner. When she returned it was seven o'clock, and she had six boxes of delivered pizza in her hands. They ate pizza while they watched the rest of the movie. This was now one of Ron's favorite foods.**

** They had a four hour break before they had to attend their Astronomy lesson. Luckily, Ms. Turner hadn't come after Ron in that time, because he had no excuse to get out of a meeting with her now. During the four hour break, Ron did some homework and Derek, Dave, Doug, and Josh taught Ron how to dance with the help of Dominique, who Ron thought was very attractive, and she definitely was a great dancer.**

** They went up on the Widow's walk, and looked through telescopes at the stars. There were telescopes set on certain stars that the class had to identify. Ron didn't think it was that hard, and the rest of the class they were looking for their astrological sign's stars to see how bright they shone. There was a sad side to this though. Ron thought of Padma when he thought of the stars, and because Hermione would always scold him for having another girl tutor him, he thought of Hermione, and he started to feel homesick. Then again he thought it might've been the four pieces of pizza.**


	15. Confrontations

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Confrontations **

**Author's Note: Sorry for taking so long to update, I was caught up in a book one night, and then I got sucked into working by guilt Friday night and tonight. Sorry if this is rushed. I wanted to get to the next chapter as quickly as possible. I hope you all enjoy! Thank you all for reviewing!**

** Ron's fun in America continued throughout the week. For the first time, Ron enjoyed learning. The school was like his new family. He hung out with the same seven people mostly. There was Derek, Dave, Doug, and Josh, but then there were the girls he met as well. Dominique Rodriquez was Puerto Rican, and she was very exotic looking. She wore her long dark hair in cornrows all the time, and she had her ears pierced several times. During muggle studies, another person chose to try the keyboard, and her name was Roxanne Simpson. Roxanne was white with short brown hair that was always worn in a cute ponytail. Roxanne had a tough girl personality once you first met her, but once Ron befriended her, she was a completely different person. **

**Then there was Abigail; Abigail Walker was a snob to almost everybody. Abigail had long blonde hair. Most of the guys were attracted to her, but she never gave them the time of day. She noticed Ron, when he was the only guy who never approached her. It was during Care of Magical Creatures that she finally approached him. The class would need to work in pairs to feed Nogtails, piglet type demon creatures, and Abigail pushed Derek out of the way as she walked over to Ron. **

**"Hello partner." Abigail says. **

**Ron wanted to partner with Derek, because he always made the lessons entertaining, and he didn't want to be rude and leave Derek out, but Derek was more than all right with it. Derek paired up with Doug, while Josh paired up with Dave. As they began feeding the nogtails, Abigail began to make conversation. **

**"So what part of England are you from?" Abigail asks. **

**"Ottery St. Catchpole, a little way outside the village." Ron says. **

**"Never heard of it." Abigail says. **

**"It's by Exeter in Devon." Ron says. **

**"Right." Abigail says, clearly she wasn't interested. **

**"You asked." Ron mutters. **

**"I was trying to make conversation." Abigail says. **

**"Why don't you just feed this thing already?" Ron asks annoyed. Abigail was the American female version of Malfoy. **

**"What do you mean, why don't I feed it? Mr. Hunter said to work together." Abigail says. **

**"Well then why don't you start? I'm holding it, mind you it's bloody hard to keep this thing still." Ron says. **

**"If I throw food on the ground, do you think it's going to runaway?" Abigail says snottily.**

**"You want to take that chance, do you? Fine, throw food on the ground and if it runs, you can catch it." Ron says. **

**"Whatever." Abigail says. She throws the food on the ground for the nogtail. **

**Ron grinned and let it go. It ran extremely fast away from Ron and Abigail. **

**"Clearly, it didn't see me throw it." Abigail says. **

**"Clearly, you should run after it." Ron says. **

**"Please, I don't run, and especially not in the middle of a pigpen." Abigail says. "I don't need mud all over my shoes, thanks. Americans don't like mud, I don't know what you people are used too, but…" **

**SPLAT! Ron had taken a handful of mud and thrown it at Abigail's face. Abigail opened her mouth and wiped her eyes with her hands. She shook her hands out away from her in disgust. **

**Ron knew for sure he was in trouble. He looked around, and saw Derek, Doug, Dave, and Josh trying hard not to laugh. Even Roxanne and Dominique had their mouths covered as to hide their amusement. Ron looked down before looking at the two teachers. Mr. Hunter was trying hard to suppress a smile, and Mrs. Hunter had her mouth open with surprise. **

**"Look what you did!" Abigail shrieked. **

**Ron turned back to her. "Oh no, are you going to melt now?" Ron jokes. **

**Derek couldn't hold back anymore. He busted out with an obnoxious laugh. "Girl, you got told!" Derek yells. **

**"Mr. Hunter, Mrs. Hunter punish him! People like _him _clearly don't belong in this school!" Abigail screams. **

**"Hey! What do you mean people like him? English people? I hate to tell you, but half of us would've loved to do what he did if we had the chance to girly, so shut your mouth. Derek's ten times more obnoxious than him, and unless you want to be pushed in the mud, I suggest you shut up!" Roxanne says. **

**"Mr. Hunter! Look what this animal did! It's all over my face!" Abigail cries. **

**"Oh, don't worry honey, you look ten times better this way." Dominique says. **

**"Ugh! I am so going to Mrs. Maloney about this. She'll see about letting outsiders, like this piece of white trash, come here!" Abigail cries. She stomps up to the school. **

**"Ron, why don't you go talk to Ms. Turner?" Mrs. Hunter suggests. **

**Ron walks up to the school not wanting to stir up any more trouble. When Ron arrives in Ms. Turner's office, Abigail was already there. **

**Abigail glares at him. Ms. Turner looks at him. **

**"Sorry, I'll wait. Mrs. Hunter sent me." Ron says starting to back away. **

**"No, why don't you come in. After all, her problem seems to be along the lines of why you were sent here, I assume." Ms. Turner says. **

**Ron takes a seat. **

**"Why did you throw mud at Ms. Walker?" Ms. Turner asks. **

**"She was acting like a snob. Maybe not acting… I lost my temper and since she said she wasn't going to get dirty I knew she hated mud and threw some at her." Ron says. **

**"Do you see what he's like? Calling me a snob… we shouldn't tolerate people like him in our school." Abigail says. **

**"Well it's good to know you consider me a person in the presence of an authority, I mean outside you referred to me as garbage. I only called you a snob, because in my opinion that's what you are. A definition of a snob to me is somebody who thinks they're better than everybody else, and I was just trying to show you that you aren't the queen of the world. Derek and them told me you were really conceited when I first got here, and I know enough people like you back in England to know not to interact with you. You were the one who pushed Derek aside to be partners with me, and I only had to know you five seconds to realize that I didn't want to know you anymore. You deserved that mud, and that's the least of what you deserve. Ms. Turner, what's my punishment?" Ron asks. **

**"I don't give out detentions, Mrs. Maloney does." Ms. Turner says writing something on a piece of paper. She folds the paper up and hands it to Ron. "Bring that to Mrs. Maloney's office, it's right across the hall there." **

**Ron takes the paper and walks across the office to the door of Mrs. Maloney's office. He knocks on the door. **

**"Come in." Mrs. Maloney calls. **

**Ron enters Mrs. Maloney's office. He hands her the piece of paper, and waits while cracking his knuckles, nervously. **

**"You threw mud at Ms. Walker?" Mrs. Maloney asks. **

**"Yes mam." Ron says nervously. **

**"Do you have an excuse for this?" Mrs. Maloney asks. **

**"Not a brilliant one." Ron says. **

**"Well what was your reasoning for doing so?" Mrs. Maloney asks. **

**"She was being stuck up. I was just trying to bring her down to earth." Ron says nervously. **

**"I'm not going to lie to you Ron, Ms. Walker does think she is better than most of the students here. My suggestion to you, is to stay away from her, and as a last resort don't do something so immature. Five year olds throw mud at each other. Try and act your age." Mrs. Maloney says. **

**"Yes mam. Is that all?" Ron asks hoping to get out of a detention. **

**"How's your first week been?" Mrs. Maloney asks. **

**"Brilliant. I love it here." Ron says. **

**"That's great, your teachers have a high opinion of you as well. Don't lose a good name, because of one girl. It's not worth it." Mrs. Maloney advises. **

**"Does that mean I'm getting a detention?" Ron asks. He was confused. **

**"No, I'm letting you off with a warning." Mrs. Maloney says. **

**"Thank you. I won't mess up again." Ron says. **

**Ron leaves with a weight lifted off of his shoulders. He met Derek and everybody as they were coming in. **

**"Man, that was too perfect." Derek says. **

**"We warned you of what she was like." Roxanne says. **

**"I didn't have a choice. She came up to me." Ron says. **

**"Did Mrs. Maloney '_hear about it_'?" Josh asks mocking Abigail. **

**"Yes, she let me off with a warning, which is good, because all my parents need is to hear about me throwing mud at a girl. My mum would send me a howler telling me to act my age." Ron says rolling his eyes. **

**"I didn't know you could act like that. I thought you were uptight and quiet." Derek says. **

**"Uptight and quiet are the last words I'd use to describe myself." Ron says. **

**"Really?" Derek asks. **

**"Really. I usually have a comment for everything, and if you had twin brothers always playing pranks on you, you couldn't be uptight and still living." Ron says. "You'd lose it." Ron says. **

**"Yea, but you were acting all shy and formal when you came here." Dominique says. **

**"Yes, but I didn't want to get kicked out of another school. I wasn't sure if everything here would be uptight or what, and I didn't want to get in trouble... Trouble got me here in the first place." Ron says. **

**"Shoot! You were kicked out of your old school?" Roxanne asks wrapping an arm around Ron. **

**"Suspended for two weeks originally, but then other crap happened, and now I'm here." Ron says trying to avoid the subject. "Back at Hogwarts you don't interact with your teachers the way you do here. You get your lecture and instructions, and then you work in silence. Anyone who interrupts that silence gets a detention." **

**"The dance is tomorrow night." Dominique says pushing Roxanne out of the way and wrapping her arm around Ron's shoulder. **

**"On a Friday night? Why not Saturday?" Ron asks. **

**"We go home on the weekends, unless we get projects that need us to sacrifice them." Derek says. **

**"Oh, but people do stay on weekends, right?" Ron asks. **

**"Yea," Dominique says. "My momma says it's easier for her if I stay and get free meals. Save her from cooking, or me from her cooking." **

**"Good, so you'll be here too?" Ron asks. **

**"Yes, aren't you going home?" Dominique asks. **

**"He lives in England remember?" Derek asks. **

**"Well, I'm not going home, this weekend, but my parents do have a cabin here. My Grandfather paid for it, which was the only decent thing he's ever done." Ron says. **

**"We'll all just have to come over some weekend, meet your parents." Derek says. **

**"You are joking, aren't you?" Ron asks. **

**"Why would I be joking? You can meet my momma if you want, she'd love to meet you." Derek says. **

**"You'd want to come meet my parents?" Ron asks. **

**"Haven't I established that?" Derek asks. **

**"All right, I'll write home for some weekend." Ron says. **

**"Make it the weekend after Thanksgiving break." Roxanne says. **

**"Yea, that sounds good for me." Dominique says. **

**"In that case it's good for me." Josh says. **

**"Wait… you're all coming?" Ron asks. **

**"Yea, we can have a giant sleepover, it'll be a blast." Dominique says. **

**"As long as you leave your makeup and nail polish here this time." Dave says. **

**"Yes, because it took forever to get pink off my nails. Black, I wouldn't have minded, but pink… it's too terrible to remember." Doug shudders. **

**"Okay, we'll remember black this time." Dominique jokes. **

**"The cabin's small. It only has two bedrooms." Ron says. **

**"We'll sleep on the floor in the living room." Derek says. **

**"All right, I'll owl home." Ron says. **

**On Friday, Ron entered Mrs. Prewitt's Charms' lesson when she walked over to him. **

**"Hey pumpkin." Mrs. Prewitt says sweetly. **

**Mrs. Prewitt was easily every student's favorite teacher from her sense of humor to her sweetness. Whenever Ron entered, he earned the greeting of hello pumpkin, Mrs. Prewitt claiming Ron looked as cute as a pumpkin. **

**"Good afternoon, Mrs. Prewitt." Ron says. **

**"What is this I hear about you throwing mud all over Abby?" Mrs. Prewitt asks. **

**"I should've pushed her in it." Ron mutters. **

**"Hey! What have you got against my Abby?" Mrs. Prewitt asks. **

**"Oh, sorry, I didn't know there was anybody who liked her." Ron says. **

**"Why don't you like her?" Mrs. Prewitt asks. **

**"She's a snob and thinks she's better than everybody else." Ron answers. **

**"That's not true." Mrs. Prewitt says. **

**"Outside of an authority's eye it is." Ron says. **

**"Well, think of Abby when you try to perform hexes today. Though, don't you dare try one on her!" Mrs. Prewitt says. **

**Ron laughs, and surprisingly perfected all his hexes. **

**"You going to the dance tonight?" Mrs. Prewitt asks Ron as he started to leave. **

**"Yes." Ron says. **

**"Good, you'll get reintroduced to Abby then." Mrs. Prewitt says. **

**"Mrs. Prewitt, you'd have to be a miracle worker to get me to even go near her again." Ron says. He leaves. **

**The dance that night was held in the cafeteria. There was a disco ball in the ceiling and Ms. Hoffman and Mr. Levine of Muggle studies brought strobe lights and provided the music. Roxanne and Dominique took turns grinding with Dominique. Ron also took turns dancing with other girls. He danced with Jade, the girl from Transfiguration, but mostly stayed to Roxanne and Dominique. **

**During a slow song, Ron had taken a break and gotten some butterbeer, when Abby walked up to him. She looked beautiful in her robes of pink velvet, her blonde hair was down against her back and she wore pink lipstick with rose-colored eye shadow. She wore gold earrings in her ears, and what Ron saw in Abigail's eyes was a mixture of hope and fear. Ron knew how these emotions felt, but he highly doubted that Abigail would punch him like Ron often did to Malfoy, but he was sure her temper was rising in the height of her anxiety, and he knew if he didn't say anything she might start an argument, like Ron had often done with Hermione. **

**"Abigail, you look brilliant tonight. I can understand why the mud wouldn't go… I'm sorry for throwing mud at you." Ron says. He was lying. He wasn't sorry for throwing mud at her. "Actually, I'm not sorry, because you seemed like a lovely young lady, and your personality showed me different. Would you like to dance? I'm wondering if deep down your heart's hiding, and maybe I could bring it out." Ron offers. **

**"I'll dance with you." Abigail says looking at Ron with teary eyes. **

**Ron guessed she had zoned him out and not heard anything but his asking her to dance. Either way, he took her hand and led her on the dance floor and they started to slow dance. **

**They danced uncomfortably, avoiding each other's eyes not knowing what to say. **

**"Do you play Quidditch?" Abigail asks suddenly after a few seconds of silence. **

**"Yes. Well, I did…" Ron says. He missed Hogwarts. **

**"I'm sorry for calling you white trash. It was my way of putting the humiliation on somebody else. I couldn't stand everybody laughing at me." Abigail says. **

**"Why do you act the way you do?" Ron asks. **

**"What way do I act?" Abigail asks. **

**"Well, you act like you're better than everybody else. Everybody I've met has warned me to stay away from you. Said I'd humiliate myself if I talked to you. You only associated with certain people, and everybody else is something you step on." Ron says. **

**"I'm not fond of getting dirty. I like animals but animals like unicorns, not like nogtails in mud." Abigail says. **

**"Why do you only associate with people who are rich, good-looking, and intelligent?" Ron asks. "Mind you, I do know that I'm neither of the three, and that you're just dancing with me, because Mrs. Prewitt is watching." **

**"You asked me to dance." Abigail reminds Ron. **

**"You didn't answer my question." Ron says. **

**"I associate with people like myself, because they understand me. They're the only people who I can understand." Abigail says. **

**"Did you ever think that other people might want to understand something about someone as 'perfect' as you? Did you ever think of trying to understand other people?" Ron asks. **

**"Like who?" Abigail asks. **

**"Derek." Ron says. **

**Abigail let out a laugh. **

**"What was that for?" Ron says letting go of her waist. **

**"I don't understand why everybody likes him. He's immature." Abigail says. **

**"Everybody likes him, because he doesn't choose friends by judging them. I came here, and he befriended me and showed me around no questions asked. He has a great personality. Some of his jokes are immature, but he's a brilliant person." Ron says. **

**"Well, of course everybody's befriending you. You're not from here. Nobody's ever transferred, for whatever reason, here." Abigail says. **

**"But I'm not perfect. I'm not good looking, I'm not smart, and I'm definitely not rich. I have an accent, but I also have a personality, and I take risks making friends, but they're worth it. Derek has to be the most lively person I've ever met… well, okay my brothers are lively too, but not like Derek. Derek gets along with teachers and is a bit more obnoxious than my brothers, but I think that's why I got along so well with him… because he's different. He's his own person." Ron says. **

**"Wait, did you say you have brothers?" Abigail says. **

**"Five older brothers and a younger sister, which is why people consider me low class, because I have their hand-me-downs." Ron says. **

**A faster song came on. **

**"Thanks for the dance." Ron says. **

**He was about to leave when Abigail grabbed his wrist. **

**"Wait, why don't you dance with me some more?" Abigail asks. "The way you danced with Roxanne and Dominique…" **

**Ron started grinding with Abigail, which earned Ron a smile from her. **

**"Wow, you've got a beautiful smile… you should smile more." Ron says. **

**Abigail laughs. **

**"See, you can have fun with different types of people. Follow me." Ron says. **

**He pulled her over to where Derek and Josh were. Derek was grinding with Roxanne, and Josh was grinding with Dominique. **

**"Abigail wants to know if she could join the fun." Ron says. **

**"No way, she's actually going to be near us, possibly talk to us?" Dominique teases. **

**"Hell yea." Derek says. He grabbed her and started dancing with her before Josh could. **

**Ron took Roxanne and started dancing. **

**By the time they were exhausted from dancing it was one in the morning, and they dragged their tired bodies to bed. Only now, Abigail was their friend. **

**However, it was this night when Ron forgot to take his sleeping potion… **

**Derek awoke to hear a strangled cry from one of his roommates. He squinted around in the darkness. Nobody was moving, but somebody was talking. Derek got up and walked over to Ron's bed to wake him up and see if Ron could hear anything, but it was then that he realized Ron wasn't in bed, and he was rolling around on the floor in his bed sheet. He was sweating and he kept crying. Derek tried unsuccessfully to wake Ron up. Then he listened to what Ron was saying. **

**"I don't know! I can't… Please go away…" **

**Derek was too busy listening to notice the twins and Josh stir as Ron's cries for help grew louder. **

**Ron was trembling violently, and he was swinging his arms as if to hit somebody. Doug ran over to Derek to see what he was staring out. **

** "Oh no, I think he's having a seizure." Doug says.**

**"A nightmare." Dave says. **

**"You don't shake like that in a nightmare!" Doug says. **

**"Yo, quit arguing and somebody go get the nurse." Derek says. **

**Doug and Dave both ran out of the dorm. **

**By the time the nurse had arrived everybody in Ron's dorm was awake and down in the Rec room, where Derek sent them so they wouldn't see Ron. **

**The twins and Josh joined the nurse and Derek. **

**"What's happening to him?" Josh asks the school nurse. **

**"I suppose he hasn't told you then. You'll have to ask him why he's here to begin with." Nurse Web says putting a potion she had brought with her on Ron's bedside table. He would need to be awoken first. **

**"No, he means is he having a nightmare or a seizure?" Dave asks. **

**"A violent nightmare." Nurse Web says. **

**"That's what I said." Dave says. **

**"Ron, Ron, sweetheart wake up." Nurse Web says. **

**"I already tried that… well, without the sweetheart." Derek says. "It's no good." **

**"Ron, you're in Salem, in the United States… you're not there anymore. Just wake up." Nurse Web says. **

**That didn't do any good he couldn't hear her. **

**Nurse Web muttered an enchantment, and water poured out of the tip of her wand soaking Ron's face and waking him up. **

**Ron dried his face with his nightshirt, before he opened his eyes and saw his friends… watching him. They saw him mental. Ron wanted to breakdown and cry, but he didn't have the strength to, he was even more exhausted than before. **

**He followed Nurse Web out of the dorm and down to the nurse's office where he spent the night after taking a sleeping potion. **

**The next morning, Ron wanted nothing more than to stay in the Nurse's all day, undisturbed, but that didn't happen. **

**Derek, Dave, Doug, Josh, Dominique, Roxanne, and even Abigail were all sitting in chairs around him waiting for him to wake up. **

**"I think there's a question you've been avoiding." Derek says. **

**Ron turned his head away. **

**"Aren't you supposed to be home?" Ron asks. **

**"I'll go home at noon, if you answer me first. If not, I'll go home next weekend. Please tell me why you're here in America. Don't leave any details out." Derek says. Surely, he knew it would take more begging to get the whole truth out, but it didn't. **

**"I was suspended from Hogwarts for fighting with a real jerk. His father was a death eater, which is a follower of You-know-who…" Ron says. **

**"No we don't, who?" Abigail asks. **

**"The dark lord." Ron says. **

**"What's the name?" Derek asks. **

**"I can't say it." Ron says. **

**"Is it hard to pronounce?" Derek asks. **

**"No. We don't speak the name." Ron says. **

**"Oh, who is that person? You know the dares…" Roxanne says. **

**"Bloody Mary?" Dominique asks. **

**"No." Roxanne says. **

**"The Candy man?" Dominique asks. **

**"Beetlejuice?" Doug asks. **

**"No, no… oh I remember… it's… Voldemort!" Roxanne exclaims. **

**Ron flinched as he always did at the name. **

**"Why couldn't you say his name? That only makes him have more power over you, and you more afraid of him." Dave says. **

**"Anyway, this kid's father was a follower of him." Ron says. **

**"Say the name, Ron." Derek encourages. **

**"Voldemort." Ron says wincing. **

**"Say it again, this time without wincing. When you say his name, you have the power, not him." Derek says. **

**"Voldemort." Ron says softly avoiding Derek's eyes. **

**"We'll work on that later, continue." Roxanne says taking Ron's hand. **

**Ron sighs. "I was at home, on suspension… and they… the death eaters and Voldemort came to my house. I came downstairs; my grandfather was staying with me, because he was the only one who could control me. I was a bit out of hand for my parents… and they were in hiding, because this kid threatened my parents lives. I didn't want to know if he was joking when he said his father was going after them or what, but my Headmaster wrote home and let them know there was a threat made and he felt it better if they went into hiding. Anyway, it was just me and my Grandfather at home. They were going to kill him. He would've been able to escape if I hadn't been suspended, so I made him leave. Voldemort… tortured me. They expected me to be insane the rest of my life if I did live, but I somehow survived, but I have nightmares of that day every night I don't have a sleeping potion. I can't escape them either, they never end, and they're always the same, and the pain's real in the nightmare." Ron says. **

**Roxanne squeezes his hand. **

**"They moved me here, because aurors knew he still knew I was alive, and I was in danger there. I leave sometime around Christmas." Ron says. **

**"Yes, but we're going to make the best of your time here." Derek says. **

**Ron somehow got himself to talk about everything that happened to Ms. Turner, and he felt better for it. It was like a huge burden was lifted off his shoulders. **

**As weeks flew by, Ron liked America more and more, but at the same time he found himself missing home more and more. Derek and the boys had got Ron to be more loud and open than he ever was before. Like Derek he also spoke back to the teachers, but with a different respect. He knew when to shut up. Ron found that Derek acted up worse, when he would act up. The teachers couldn't help laugh at the pair. They were so different, but in some areas they were alike. **

**Ron was having wonderful time learning. Anytime, Mrs. Prewitt would yell at Ron or Derek they'd flash an innocent smile, and she couldn't help but laugh and pinch their cheeks. They made very good marks, only very disruptively. **

**Ron learned to love the American holiday Thanksgiving. Even if it was for muggles, they were encouraged to have the dinner, and frankly Ron didn't mind. He enjoyed the hot mashed potatoes and gravy and the turkey, which he couldn't get enough of. Only after a week filled with turkey sandwiches, was Ron finally starting to get sick of it. **

**In muggle studies, Ron was learning to play Fur Elise on the keyboard. He and Roxanne were having a competition between the two to see who could learn faster. **

**Abigail was definitely friendlier toward everybody, after having many talks with Ron. **

**After it was postponed, Ron finally was allowed his seven friends to come home with him on the weekend before Christmas break. **

**They had all known that this would be their last week of seeing him. Ron dreaded leaving everything he had here, but he longed for home. **

**They all laid in their sleeping bags around the muggle Monopoly board. Dave and Doug had brought it. They said it was for when you were really bored, and there wasn't enough Wizard Chessboards for everybody to play. All in all they were distracting themselves of what everybody knew was coming. **

**Derek got up to use the bathroom. He passed Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen, and doubled back. **

**Mrs. Weasley smiled at him, and gestured him into the kitchen where she was making pie. **

**"I wanted to thank you. My son's been through a lot, and you've helped him get through a lot more, and now he's controllable, but in the same respect a kid." Mrs. Weasley says. **

**"He was quiet and shy when he first came here. He had a lot of things on his mind. He probably didn't tell you half. He's not a kid anymore Mrs. Weasley, he's a teenager. He probably wanted to talk to somebody, but was afraid that person, whether it was you, or his father, or his friends, wouldn't understand. Do you know why teenagers and parents don't get along, a hundred percent of the time anyway?" Derek asks. **

**"No, why?" Mrs. Weasley asks. **

**"Parents don't give teenagers all the respect they deserve, some think of them as children, or some put too much pressure on them and expect them to be adults. All I did was set him free of the pressure. He was able to have fun while learning, he was able to talk back to teachers, and have them talk back to him. He was able to let loose and have fun. All the teachers over there must've shut him up and disrespected him. People won't know anything, unless they listen. Don't listen to me, it was something I read in a muggle's philosophy course." Derek jokes. **

**The last two days before Holiday break were heartbreaking and of course humorous. **

**Ron's friends and teachers all hugged him goodbye many times. Roxanne had beaten Ron in learning how to play Fur Elise faster. They both got great grades though for actually learning it. **

**"You come back some time. You owe me a dance." Roxanne cried. **

**"No, I don't." Ron says hugging her. **

**"Yes you do. You danced with Abby to a slow song, but not me. So you have to come back." Roxanne cries. **

**"I'll come back, one day." Ron promises. **

**"Yea, then you can show me that back flip you said you could do." Josh says holding out his hand. They shook hands before giving each other a quick hug. **

**The twins found a way for Ron to remember them. They used an enchanted permanent marker to write their phone number, address and sign their names with a message on his skin. **

**Roxanne, Dominique, Abigail, and Josh all followed suit leaving marks and messages on his arms. Little did Ron know, it wouldn't wash off. **

**Derek wrote his own message as well, but had his own way of saying goodbye. He would make sure Ron would remember him for a long time… Derek pierced Ron's ear. Although, his mum would never approve of the silver hoop in his ear, Ron would always remember Derek, a true friend. **

**Ron hesitated as he stepped through the fireplace. He didn't want to go home to the burrow. Only more danger would come, but when he stepped out on the other side, it wasn't the burrow. He was in his Grandfather's house. Grandfather felt so guilty about leaving Ron; still, he let Ron stay in his room all of Christmas vacation like he wanted too. He didn't want to answer any questions that his parents and his Grandfather had desperately wanted to ask. They would disown him. How stupid had he been by not answering those questions… he risked a lot more lives by not telling. **

**Voldemort was going to kill Hermione, her family, Ginny… Ginny. On the other hand, it was Harry, and some lady Arabella Figg, who he had learned protected Harry, not to mention the Dursley's, but this wouldn't be a loss. Still, either way he looked at it he was guilty. Guilty for endangering Hermione's life, her parents' lives, his sister's life, but on the other hand he was guilty for almost letting it slip and letting Harry Potter be in danger. **

**Ron wasn't in much of a Christmas spirit as Christmas came. He was grateful for his maroon sweater, chocolate frogs, and Bertie Botts' Every Flavored Beans, but he was too worried about everything else to be happy. He missed his American friends even more, when they sent him presents. They had known he loved sweets and sent him loads of candy. Ron wished he didn't have to go back to Hogwarts now. He would face Malfoy again, he wasn't sure he could look Harry or Hermione in the eye without feeling guilty, and most of all learning wouldn't be the same. He couldn't have fun or interact with his teachers. He wished he could go back, but knew he had to face the music; it was just a terrible time to do so as everybody would be happy. **

**Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had told the kids to stay at the school for their safety during the holidays. They weren't having a merrier Christmas either. Bill, Charlie, and Percy dropped by. Ron told them about Salem, and about the school. They were fascinated. Ron enjoyed the company, but still wasn't feeling happy. **

**Finally, it was the morning when term would start again. Ron would be a bit late, but still he went. He used Floo powder to get to Hogsmeade. He dragged his trunk all the way up to the castle. Everybody would be in his or her first lesson by now. Ron dragged his things up to his dorm, and unpacked. He would be seriously late for his first lesson. He had a few things to do before he attended still, and so he started by going down to the infirmary. Ron waited for Madam Pomfrey, and when she saw him, she nearly passed out. She gave him the password to Dumbledore's office, and the gargoyle sprung aside for him. Ron knocked on Professor Dumbledore's door. Remus Lupin opened it. **

**Sirius changed into his human form and gaped. Remus paled and looked at Ron surprisingly. **

**"Let him in Remus." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**Remus stepped back and Ron stepped into the office. **

**"I don't mean to interrupt, Professor, but I was just wondering if er, I could have a pass to class. I'm a bit late." Ron says. **

**"How are you alive?" Sirius asks. **

**Ron ignores him. "I am allowed back, aren't I?" Ron asks Dumbledore. **

**"Yes, but perhaps you could explain a few things first." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"I'm already late for class, I don't want to miss my first lesson." Ron says. "And I have to go ask Professor McGonagall if I'm allowed back still." **

**"I need to know what Voldemort wanted from you." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"He wanted information on Harry." Ron says. **

**"Did you tell him anything?" Sirius asks. **

**Ron ignores him still. "Has there been anybody else killed since I was attacked?" Ron asks. **

**"Harry's still alive, because he's been here, it doesn't mean he will be if you don't tell us what you told him." Sirius says. **

**"Professor Dumbledore, was there anybody killed since I was attacked, any muggles?" Ron asks fearing Hermione's parents, or worse Hermione if she went home for Christmas… **

**"Not to my knowledge." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"I knew you were on the wrong side of the tracks! You told him something didn't you? What a friend you are! Not even I betrayed James." Sirius yells. **

**Ron flinched at the yelling and paled. The death eaters and Voldemort had yelled. **

**"Mr. Weasley?" Professor Dumbledore asks concernedly. **

**Ron shook it off. **

**"I can't believe this! This is why I told you to stay away from him! This is why I told him to keep away from you! You've been gone for two months! You're a traitor!" Sirius says. **

**Sirius pulled up Ron's sleeves to look for a mark, but all he found were numbers, addresses, and notes that said 'You promised me a dance! Come back soon!' with a pair of lips under it with the name _Roxy_ signed under it. **

**Ron still said nothing. "Mr. Weasley, may I ask if anybody might be in danger?" Professor Dumbledore asks. **

**"Because I didn't tell… Voldemort said he was going to kill Hermione, her family, and Ginny. I only answered one question." Ron says. **

**"What was the question?" Sirius asks. **

**"Where does Harry stay on the holidays? I told them." Ron says. **

**Sirius raised his hand up in the air, but Remus pushed him to the ground. "STOP!" Remus says. **

**"This could've cost Harry and Arabella's lives! Did you know Ron that there was an innocent witch guarding Privet drive?" Sirius yells. **

**"I told them Hogwarts." Ron says as if he never heard or saw Sirius. **

**"You told them what?" Sirius says as Remus lets him up. **

**"Professor Dumbledore, may I please have a pass?" Ron asks. **

**Professor Dumbledore gave Ron a searching look. **

**"You're not all right, are you Mr. Weasley?" Professor Dumbledore asks. **

**"I'm great actually." Ron lies, but what did it matter. **

**"After dinner tonight, I wish you to come to my office. I'll need to speak with you." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"Is _he_ going to be here?" Ron asks. **

**"What is your problem? You've been prejudiced about Moony ever since day one! He deserves respect from people like you." Sirius says. **

**"I meant you." Ron says. **

**"Damn right I'll be here." Sirius says. **

**"He doesn't have to be." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"Whatever." Ron says. **

**Professor Dumbledore writes a pass and hands it to Ron. **

**"Thanks." Ron says. **

**Ron heads downstairs to Transfiguration. He knocked on the classroom door, not wanting to come back so rudely. **

**"Come in!" Professor McGonagall cries. **

**Ron let himself in. Everybody did a double take as they saw him. **

**Professor McGonagall's eyes were now watery and filled with shock. **

**"Professor, I was speaking to Professor Dumbledore, and I apologize for my tardiness. Here's my pass." Ron says handing her the pass. **

**Professor McGonagall didn't take the pass. She stood staring at Ron. **

**"I am allowed back, aren't I?" Ron asks. "Professor Dumbledore said it was all right." **

**Professor McGonagall blinks and nods. "Welcome back Mr. Weasley. Take a seat. We were just finishing our lesson. You've missed a lot." Professor McGonagall says. **

**"Have you done human transfiguration yet?" Ron asks as he takes a seat next to Neville. **

**"No, that starts next week." Professor McGonagall says. **

**"Then I'm ahead." Ron says. **

**"I beg your pardon?" Professor McGonagall says. **

**"I've already done it." Ron says. **

**"But how? You were…" Professor McGonagall says. **

**"I was in America." Ron says. **

**"Then why'd you come back?" Malfoy asks. **

**"Because I missed you so much Draco." Ron says sarcastically. **

**Malfoy turned around and glared at him. **

**"I heard you screamed." Draco whispers. **

**Ron chose to ignore this comment and began a conversation with Neville. **

**"If I'm as ahead in Potions as I am in this class, then you won't have to worry about Snape." Ron assures him. **

**"How did you?" Neville asks. **

**"I don't know. I was asleep for a whole week, so I don't know how I got there or what happened." Ron says. **

**"Your brothers confirmed it though…" Neville says. **

**"They lied. They had too. Rita Skeeter was lurking around the school, in her Animagus form, and they had to say that I was dead so she'd overhear it and confirm it. Aurors said I was in danger, because Voldemort knew I was alive, so they moved me to America." Ron says. **

**"So you went into hiding like a little baby?" Malfoy asks. **

**"No, I went on a vacation and had the time of my life." Ron says. **

**"Mr. Malfoy!" Professor McGonagall says. **

**"Yes Professor?" Malfoy asks. **

**"Switch seats with Ms. Parkinson." Professor McGonagall says. **

**Pansy sat with Millicent Bulstrode at the opposite end of the room. **

**Malfoy got up and traded seats with Pansy reluctantly. **

**The class ended and they headed for Charms, all the Gryffindors desperate for answers. Hermione stopped Ron by blocking him. **

**"I'm sorry! I'm sorry for being stupid and saying what I said! I'm so happy you're alive." Hermione cries and hugged him tightly. **

**Ron hugged her back. "It's great to see you too Hermione." Ron says feeling a tremendous amount of guilt… 'You could've saved me Ron…' A constant nightmare haunted him. **

**"You mean you forgive me?" Hermione asks wiping tears from her eyes. **

**"Yes, what's past is past. Although, speaking of the past, aren't you the little hypocrite?" Ron says grinning. **

**"How am I a hypocrite?" Hermione asks. **

**"Weren't you telling me off when I fought with Malfoy?" Ron asks. **

**"Oh, shut up." Hermione says quickly. **

**"Yes, I heard about your little stunt. I only wished I could've been here to see it." Ron says. **

**"If you would've been here I wouldn't have hit him." Hermione says. **

**"Do you got something against me now?" Ron asks. **

**"No! Of course not, I just got mad and blamed him for your supposed death. He deserved a great kick in the butt. I just got off without any trouble by using you as an excuse. Next year, I suppose I'll have to go to Australia and fake my death. Then you could hurt him." Hermione says. She turns around when she sees Ron stop and pale. "I was only joking." **

**"Would you mind telling Professor Flitwick I'll be a bit late? I accidentally packed my History of Magic book instead of my Charms book." Ron says. **

**"Er, all right." Hermione says. Hermione knew something upset Ron, but wasn't going to press him on it just then. Hermione knew Ron wouldn't be upset over grabbing the wrong book. **

**Ron ran up to his dorm, but he wasn't the only one. Harry had followed him, shutting the door behind him. **

**"Ron, please talk to me… I know you probably hate me even more now." Harry says. **

**Ron turned to find Harry pleading with teary eyes. **

**"I've never hated you Harry." Ron says. **

**"Why did you end our friendship then?" Harry asks. **

**"I didn't think it was fair for you to have to choose, and I knew Hermione would need a friend." Ron lies. **

**"You're lying! What did I do?" Harry asks. **

**"You didn't do anything!" Ron insists. **

**"Obviously I did." Harry says. **

**"No, it was I… I was on the wrong side of the tracks, and I didn't think it would be fair to bring you with me." Ron says. **

**"Why do you care what is good and bad for me?" Harry asks. **

**"Because if I didn't I'd be selfish like Sirius- seriously selfish." Ron says quickly knowing he slipped. **

**"What did you say? Did Sirius say something to you?" Harry asks. **

**"I didn't say anything, no I meant seriously selfish." Ron says. **

**Harry ran out of the dorm and across the hall to Hermione's dorm. Ron followed him to see what he was doing. Harry was going through Hermione's dresser and finally found Ron's journal underneath a blouse. **

**"Harry! One, we can't be in here, you should know you're a prefect! Two, you should never go through a girls drawers, it's invading privacy, and you never know the scary things they keep, and three I left that journal for Hermione, not you." Ron says. **

**"Mid-September, just like she said. She lied to my face. I can't believe Sirius! If he would have just stayed away like I told him to, nothing might've ever happened. I could've stopped you from getting in trouble with Malfoy." Harry says. "You'd have been hanging out with me rather than be drifting down the lake." Harry says. **

**"It was the Hogsmeade visit, I wasn't allowed to go. Nothing will change what's past. You should know that by now." Ron says. **

**"Sirius has got a lot of nerve!" Harry says grumbling as he ignored Ron and read the journal. **

**Ron took it away from him and pocketed it. "As it's mine…" Ron reminded him. "We're a bit late for Flitwick's." Ron says. **

**"I've already got an excuse, don't worry." Harry says. **

**They walked down to Flitwick's class. **

**"Your late boys." Professor Flitwick squeaks as he sees them enter. He nearly fell of the pile of books he was standing on in shock. **

**"Mr. Weasley, how? Ms. Granger, have I gone mad?" Professor Flitwick asks. **

**"No Professor, you haven't I'm truly here and alive." Ron says. **

**"But… why have you been out all this time?" Professor Flitwick asks. **

**"Some aurors thought it was a bit too risky for me to remain here during my suspension, and I was transferred to America, where I attended lessons." Ron says. **

**"Where about in America?" Professor Flitwick asks interested, he forgot about the rest of his class. **

**"Salem. They have an institution for learning there." Ron says. **

**"Oh yes, the Salem Institute… how were the lessons there?" Professor Flitwick asks. **

**"They were fun." Ron says simply. **

**"Did they teach you anything you didn't already know in Charms?" Professor Flitwick asks. **

**"Loads." Ron says. **

**"Would you care to demonstrate?" Professor Flitwick asks. **

**Ron laughs. "Are you trying to kick me out again?" Ron asks. **

**"Would anybody like to volunteer?" Professor Flitwick asks. **

**"I'll do it, as long as it's in class. Professor Flitwick will know the counter curse of whatever it is anyway." Dean says. **

**Ron turned Dean's hair green, his breath bad, he enchanted Dean to talk only in rude phrases, and then only in a different language. The class including Dean laughed at the jokes. **

**Hermione was astonished that Ron had learned any of the charms, as immature as they were they were highly advanced so you wouldn't use them. **

**Ron even turned Dean right when he was finished demonstrating his favorite curses. **

**"That's highly advanced Mr. Weasley." Professor Flitwick cries amazed. That day Professor Flitwick taught them a hex, but Ron and Harry were excused. Ron had learned it in America, and Harry had learned it last year when he needed to learn hexes for the TriWizard Tournament. **

**After Charms everybody started down for lunch. Ron wished he could join them, but knew the circumstances probably wouldn't have changed. He took food from the kitchens and ate in his common room as a large owl arrived. **

**Ron took the parchment from the owl and the owl waited patiently as Ron read the parchment; only it wasn't just a parchment in the envelope. There was a card and several pieces of parchment inside. **

**Ron looked at the card; all the students he attended class with and all his teachers from America signed it. He put it on his dresser. On the pieces of parchment pictures of who the letters came from were taped with messages of we miss you, and remember me. Ron smiled inside, while a part of him longed to see them all again. He didn't have time to dwell on this though as he had to go down to the greenhouses for Herbology. **

**Professor Sprout was surprised but glad to have Ron back. Now he was almost as smart as Neville in Herbology, mind you Herbology was Neville's only good subject, and he had probably read almost any book he could on the subject. Other than Professor's gasp of astonishment, nothing extraordinary happened in the lesson. **

**Finally, it was time for Professor Snape's Potions lesson. When Professor Snape saw that Neville was sitting with somebody he looked up and saw Ron… alive! He stared at Ron, unsure of whether he was a poltergeist trying to haunt him or actually, alive… **

**"Mr. Longbottom, who is sitting next to you?" Professor Snape asks. **

**"You've forgotten my name have you? It's only been two months." Ron says. **

**"Mr. Weasley, how on earth are you back here… and alive?" Professor Snape asks. **

**"He was hiding in America the whole time. What a great big coward!" Malfoy teases. **

**Harry stood up outraged, but Ron pulled him down hard by his robes. **

**"That will be all Mr. Malfoy. Mr. Potter, your outburst has cost you ten points from Gryffindor. As for you, Mr. Weasley…" Professor Snape starts. "I think you're too far behind to stay in this class, perhaps it would be in your best interest to take off the rest of the year and repeat your fifth year. I couldn't teach you well enough when you were here, I certainly can't help you now." Professor Snape says grinning evilly. **

**Ron raises his hand. Snape nodded hesitantly. "Excuse me Professor, but I seem to be ahead in all of my other lessons, I don't see why Potions is any different." Ron says. **

**Snape listed all the potions they've done while Ron was gone. **

**"I've done them and more, sir." Ron says. **

**"For example?" Professor Snape says. **

**"A wound-cleaning potion, sleeping potions, memory potions, confusing concoctions…" Ron lists. **

**"Name one ingredient in a memory potion." Professor Snape says. **

**"Jobberknoll feathers." Ron says. **

**Professor Snape questioned him no more. They were told to make a hair-raising potion, and Ron had Neville copy everything he did. They were both stirring when Malfoy started. Professor Snape was busy with paperwork on his desk. **

**"It's a crime you weren't murdered Weasley." Malfoy whispers. **

**"If that's what you think, that's great for you. Try and keep your comments to yourself though, you're getting a bit distracting." Ron says. **

**"Why? Are you afraid of what I could tell Harry and Hermione now that you're friends again? I know everything you said and _didn't say_. Does your mother know whose life you put in jeopardy?" Malfoy asks. **

**Ron stood up packing his things. **

**"Going to run and hide again. This time they'll get you." Malfoy whispers. **

**Ron gasps for air. He paled and started sweating. He started toward the door of the dungeon. **

**"Mr. Weasley, sit down!" Professor Snape says threateningly. **

**"I apologize… Professor… Snape… I need to leave… I'm going to be sick." Ron pants and runs out of the dungeon trying to breathe. **

**Harry got up and ran after him. He didn't have to run far though; Ron was sitting down against the wall of the hallway. He could hardly breathe. Everything was dizzy. **

**Harry hit him gently on the face trying to bring him to reality. **

**"Can you help me to the bathroom?" Ron asks holding his head to stop everything from moving. **

**"Yes, can you get up?" Harry asks. **

**Ron stands up. Harry helps him to the bathroom. Ron vomited. When he was finished he felt much better. **

**"Thanks for helping me here. I'm sorry if I got you into trouble with Snape." Ron says wiping his face with a wet paper towel. **

**"It wouldn't be something new, and it wouldn't be your fault…" Harry says. He felt it would be best if he got off the subject. "Did you know that Hagrid's back?" **

**"He is?" Ron asks. **

**"Yes. He came back the same time you left. He stayed for a week before leaving again. He only returned Christmas. He'll be glad to see you." Harry says. **

**"Oh that reminds me, I need to tell him about the American Care of Magical Creatures lessons. They had a zoo for us to learn in. My teachers were fascinated with everything I told them about Hagrid and his liking for dangerous creatures." Ron says. **

**"You mean there was more than one teacher?" Harry asks. **

**"In every class except Divination. The teacher was a great big fortune cookie." Ron says. "And she didn't say anything horrible about my future, which is more than I can say for Trelawney." **

**"What were the kids like?" Harry asks. **

**"They were cool. I met seven really good friends… I even got the attention of a snob, but I warmed her cold heart." Ron jokes. **

**"What about the classes?" Harry asks. **

**"They were brilliant! The teachers weren't strict at all. They made learning fun and easy. Potions was actually easy. The teachers helped you out. They joked around with you. I had to take Muggle Studies, as it was required, and it was really fun. For instance, during muggle studies, you played muggle sports, or watched a muggle movie, and as the lesson was four hours long you ate muggle food, which was quite delicious. For a project, we had to learn how to play an instrument. I can actually play a song on a keyboard." Ron says. **

**Ron explained to Harry all he could the differences about Hogwarts and Salem. He only stopped when he realized that he had better be going up to Dumbledore's office, as it was well passed dinner. **

**Ron entered the office, and Remus as well as Sirius were there with the Headmaster. **

**"Ron, if you wish Sirius or myself to leave, we will fulfill your wishes." Remus says. **

**"You're more than welcome to stay. I only want him to stay, so he can hear everything." Ron says glaring at Sirius. **

**"May I ask, why you don't like Sirius?" Remus asks. **

**"You can ask Sirius." Ron says. **

**"Sirius what did you do?" Remus asks. **

**"Nothing important, I need to know what happened to Harry, so go on Ron." Sirius says. **

**"Actually, I'd like to know why Mr. Weasley doesn't like you." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"He told me to stay away from my best friend." Ron says. **

**"Was Harry aware of this?" Remus asks Sirius. **

**"I only asked Ron after Harry wouldn't comply." Sirius says. "Now, make him tell." **

**"Sirius, what do you think is the difference between Harry and Ron's friendship and your friendship with James Potter?" Professor Dumbledore asks. **

**"James is dead." Sirius says softly. **

**"Besides the fact, that you two played more practical jokes, I'd say nothing. Ron is loyal to Harry, just as you were to James." Professor Dumbledore says. "Could you imagine somebody telling you at age fifteen to stay away from James?" **

**"No, but there's a difference between Ron and I, I'm not out of control like Ron is." Sirius says. **

**"When you were fifteen you were worse, and James was almost as bad. I'd shudder to think what it'd be like if he didn't have Quidditch, but still the difference is your not a teenager anymore, and I'm surprised Ron complied at all." Remus says. "Why did you agree?" **

**"Sirius said I put Harry in danger by getting into trouble. He told me to stop being selfish and give Harry a break. He basically said I was more of a problem than a help, and I didn't want to be selfish and cause more problems for Harry, because friends are supposed to help with problems, not cause them. I don't know I just didn't block Sirius out when he said what he did, and I couldn't help but do what I thought was the right thing, but usually the right things in my opinion are wrong." Ron says. **

**"Why didn't you tell Harry what Sirius said?" Remus asks. **

**"Sirius is the closest person to a parent that he has. I didn't want him to hate him because of me, a friend." Ron says. **

**"Harry wouldn't hate me." Sirius says. **

**"Have you talked to him lately?" Ron asks. **

**"What do you mean?" Sirius asks. **

**"He found out. I couldn't lie to him." Ron says. **

**"Why not, you lie to everybody else!" Sirius says. **

**Ron's eyes focused on the floor. **

**"Sirius leave." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"No, he owes me an explanation. I want to know if he said anything about Harry!" Sirius says. **

**"I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT HARRY! I RISKED SO MANY LIVES BY NOT TELLING THEM! Not to mention I had to suffer more torture, because they weren't going to kill me until I cooperated with them!" Ron yells frustrated. **

**"I had to choose between Hermione or Harry's lives! I had to choose my own sister's life or Harry's. I had to make split-second decisions, and forget everything Harry ever said. You don't know how hard it is to look Hermione in the eyes. I haven't seen Ginny yet, and frankly I'm glad Professor Dumbledore's banned me from the Great Hall, because I don't think I can look at them without wanting to die. It would've made things a lot easier if Voldemort had killed me, but I kept my mouth shut, and suffered much more than I had too. Have Voldemort perform the Cruciatus Curse on you, and you try and sleep at night without a sleeping potion and not get trapped in the nightmares! It was more painful than almost anything… except for the feeling of guilt that I have, because I didn't tell! If they had asked me that question, or any other question first, I would've risked Harry's life, because I couldn't fight the Imperius Curse, and I almost betrayed him. You don't know how guilty I feel. I am sorry Sirius; you don't know how sorry I am! I almost told, and I'm sorry… but I didn't tell." Ron cries. **

**Ron got up, crossed the room quickly and ran out of Dumbledore's office.**


	16. Confessions

**Chapter Fifteen **

**Confessions **

**Author's Note: Sirius is my favorite adult character. I'm making him a bastard, but he's just looking out for his Godson. Also, my website is taken down at the moment and until I get a new FTP server, I can't put the pages back up.**

** Ron ran up the stairs to his dorm. How could he be so stupid to tell Professor Dumbledore that he had risked his best friend and his _own_ sister's life? Dumbledore was sure to tell his mother. He'd be disowned before he turned sixteen. If he thought things were bad before, they would be ten times worse if she found out. Though Ron wouldn't mind not being at the burrow. He didn't want to go back there. Too many bad things happened there. Dumbledore would surely tell Hermione that her family as well as herself were in danger, and if she asked who put her in danger, all of life's happiness would end for Ron, though he was sure most of it did end when he left America. Too bad there weren't counselors here. **

** Ron started on his essays. He remembered writing the same essay about a month beforehand. The door to his dormitory opened and Dean, Seamus, and Neville entered with looks of excitement and interest on their face. **

** "Thanks for helping me with Potions. It turned out better than Hermione and Malfoy's. Snape was madder than ever! You should've seen him. I thought he was going to kill me for getting it right. I'm still trying to decide if he's scarier when I get it wrong or right." Neville says. **

** "It's not a problem Neville. You should decide if you hate him humiliating you or hate him when he's mad, more. He's always scary, mind you." Ron says without looking up from his essay, which he had yet to stop writing. **

** "That's a brilliant way of putting it." Neville says. **

** "How was America?" Seamus asks. **

** "How were the ladies?" Dean asks. **

** "America was brilliant and the _ladies_ were lovely." Ron says. He still hadn't stopped writing, and his eyes were still on his parchment. **

** "You're working on Snape's essay already? But you always do that last!" Dean says amazed. **

** "I won't remember as much tomorrow of what I wrote a month ago." Ron says. **

** "Snape was angrier than we've ever seen him after you left… you're smarter than Malfoy and Hermione, and you taught Neville something… something Snape can't do." Seamus says. **

** "I only have a month's more knowledge than you all do. In a month it won't matter, and I'm definitely not smarter than Hermione, but Neville can't learn anything with Snape humiliating him all the time. If I was under so much pressure I'd snap." Ron says still not moving his eyes from his essay. **

** "Did Malfoy really upset you that you actually got sick, or did you just want to get out of there?" Seamus asks. **

** "Of course he was sick, did you not see him nearly pass out?" Neville asks. **

** "Oh, I wasn't paying attention. I just thought you were trying to get out of a lesson with Snape, especially if you already had it." Seamus says. **

** "No, I don't need anymore trouble now." Ron says still writing. **

** Ron finished his essay and put away his parchment. "Goodnight." Ron says ending any conversation they would try and start. Ron drew his curtains around him blocking them out of view. **

** The next morning Ron awoke and went down to his History of Magic lesson. Professor Binns was in shock that Ron was back, but didn't ask any questions and resumed his usual boring lesson, which was ten times as boring for Ron, as he had learned everything Professor Binns was teaching already, and he had learned it with two teachers who had ten times the amount of enthusiasm as Binns had in his lessons. Instead of taking notes, which he already had taken down and still had in his book, he wrote the sheet music to Fur Elise, to make sure he didn't forget it. **

** In Defense Against the Dark Arts, Fleur started crying, but had the class summarize a chapter, while she chatted with Ron about America, surviving, and his earring, which she admired. **

** "Did I miss much?" Ron asks. **

** "Well, obviously not lessons, but zey have had a few Quidditch matches. I believe one was Gryffindor against Hufflepuff. Oh, and zey made an announcement, zey said zat Hogwarts would be competing against uzzer schools. Whoever wins the house cup will play against zee uzzer schools." Fleur explains. **

** That news held his spirit higher until after lunch when they had Divination. He remembered that Sean was his reserve and they probably intended on using him during the games, and Ron knew he wouldn't have a chance of playing Beauxbatons or Durmstrangs. **

** Then, to make things worse he had Divination, which was always a nightmare. Professor Trelawney would always make predictions of death and bad happenings, but they hardly ever were right. This time she was right. Ron's words echoed in his ears. 'Great tragedy awaits you… Only because the fates foretell me you will not laugh for a long time, will I allow you to laugh in this classroom.' She had known he'd live with the madness the torture inflicted upon him. She'd know he'd live! Ron only hoped that Trelawney wouldn't know what had happened, what had been said. Harry could never know, because he would surely tell Hermione and doubt Ron's trust. **

** However, all Trelawney had to say when Ron arrived was, "I hope you've learned a lesson." It was as if she had known, but then why had she looked surprised to see him? The lesson was boring, but uneventful, and Ron was truly happy for this. **

** Ron went down to Care of Magical Creatures with Harry. Hermione had already been there. Arithmancy must've been let out early. **

** To Ron's surprise, Hagrid would not be teaching the lesson alone. Ron prayed Krum hadn't gotten a job teaching, it was the last thing Ron needed at the moment… **

** Luckily, Professor Grubbly-Plank was helping. Hermione said she was supervising more than teaching; making sure Hagrid didn't bring animals too dangerous to class. **

** Hagrid came out of his hut with what looked like twenty muggle Jack Russell Terriers; only it had a forked tail. Ron had learned about Crups while he was in America. Ron remembered writing the essay on the cute creatures. **

**"WEASLEY! How? What?" Hagrid asks in shock and disbelief shaking Ron out of his thoughts. **

** "Not now Hagrid, we've got a lesson to teach. Does anybody know what Hagrid has with him?" Professor Grubbly-Plank asks. **

** "A crup." Ron answers. **

** "That's correct, do you know anything more about them?" Professor Grubbly-Plank says trying to remember the Weasley, after all Hagrid had confirmed that he was a Weasley, and there was no doubt that with the red hair, freckles, and hand-me-down robes he was a Weasley, but she hadn't seen him since September, so she couldn't find a name, and she knew that the Weasley's couldn't afford a crup, and as he had missed so much school, she wondered how he knew about them. **

** "They originated in southeast England and they're intensely loyal wizarding pets and ferocious toward muggles. They're scavengers and they eat anything from tires to gnomes." Ron says. **

** "Very good." Professor Grubbly-Plank says. **

** "He seems ter know about the creature, do yer mind if I have a word with him, about all the stuff he's missed?" Hagrid says in a low voice to Professor Grubbly-Plank. **

**Professor Grubbly-Plank gestured Ron over to Hagrid as she gave each dog to a student. They were told to take their dogs for a walk. Ron walked his dog over to Hagrid. **

**"Hello Hagrid." Ron says as his Crup jumped up and down nudging at Ron's wrist to try and get his attention. Ron laughed and kneeled down on the ground. The Crup rolled over and Ron scratched its belly, while the Crup nipped playfully at Ron's other hand. **

**"Weasley, they told me the last time I'd ever see you was before you left." Hagrid says. **

**"Nobody knew." Ron says. Ron picks up a thin branch. He holds it in front of the dog's nose and waves it. The dog gets up and jumps wildly for it. "You want this, yeah? Go fetch!" Ron says throwing the stick a good distance. He let go of the leash, and the dog ran for the stick. **

**"Weasley, yer can't let 'em go, he'll run!" Hagrid says. **

**"But if we're playing fetch he'll come back." Ron says watching as the crup grabbed the stick between its teeth and run back to him. Ron scratched the dog's ears, and grabbed the stick from him. **

**"How'd yer know all yer do about Crups, anyway?" Hagrid asks. **

**"I wasn't gone all that time without schooling. They wouldn't have let me back this year if I wasn't all caught up." Ron says. **

**"Yer went ter another school?" Hagrid asks. **

**"In America, in Salem, Massachusetts. We had Care of Magical Creatures lessons in a zoo. The teachers were jealous of the creatures you show us. They can't have dangerous creatures." Ron says. **

**"Neither am I anymore." Hagrid says glaring at the other Professor. **

**Ron sat down on the ground, and the Crup jumped up on him, kissing his face. Ron couldn't help but laugh. **

**"So, how have yer been?" Hagrid asks. **

**"Honestly, things are better than I expected coming back here." Ron says scratching the Crup's back. **

**Malfoy walks his whining crup over to him. "Do you have anything to shut this thing up? I think it's hungry." Malfoy says to Hagrid. Hagrid went inside his hut for a second. **

**"I know what you did." Malfoy says grinning. **

**"Congratulations, Hagrid just went in to get a treat, I'll have him give it to you for your glorious knowledge." Ron says smartly. **

**Malfoy bends down and grabs Ron's wrist rolling up his sleeve. His eyes flashed for a moment as he thought he saw the dark mark, but he grinned as he saw Dominique's name in a heart, and Roxanne's name signed above a pair of lips. **

**"I suppose she means nothing to you, if Roxanne and Dominique mean anything." Malfoy says threateningly. _He did know!_ **

**Ron yanked his wrist out of Malfoy's clutches as Hagrid came out. He saw the tension between the two. "Malfoy, not in my class. Here's something ter calm yer animal down." Hagrid says handing him a bone. "Mind you, he'd be jus' as happy if yer would give him some attention, like Weasley's doing." **

**"Is Weasley such an expert with animals now? What did America do? Give you brains? Too bad they didn't give you any money." Malfoy smirks. He pocketed the bone and looked toward the forest. "All right, if you're so smart go fetch." Malfoy says to Ron and he makes a gesture of throwing something, and 'dropped' the leash. The dog ran toward the forest looking for the bone. **

**Ron handed Hagrid the leash and turned himself into his Animagus form, the red fox, and ran after the Crup. **

**Everybody stared dumbfounded as they saw the fox come out of nowhere. Only Malfoy and Hagrid had seen him transform. **

**Ron got to the edge of the forest just as the Crup was sniffing the edge. He grabbed the leash with his mouth and dragged the Crup back to Hagrid. He transfigured himself back into human form and grabbed the leash as it fell from his face. Ron glared at Malfoy and picked up the Crup scratching its ears. Ron's Crup, which he had handed to Hagrid, was whining of jealousy. Ron sat down on the ground and both dogs came to him, and he played with them scratching their ears and bellies. **

**"You're an illegal Animagus! Wait until McGonagall hears!" Malfoy says. **

**"She'd be bloody impressed! That was brilliant!" Dean says. **

**"If you're so sure I'm illegal Malfoy, go tell her." Ron says winking. **

**"You're a registered Animagus, but how?" Hermione asks. **

**"America." Ron says. **

**"Brilliant form!" Parvati says. **

**The lesson ended, but Hagrid asked Ron to stay and help him settle the Crups down. Ron did so, as the animals were fond of him. **

**As he finished, Hagrid approached him. "Weasley, I know you've been through a lot, but I'm here if yer ever need to talk." Hagrid says. **

**"Thanks Hagrid." Ron says happily. It was good to know someone cared. **

**"Yer want a cup of tea before yer go ter dinner?" Hagrid asks. **

**"Sure." Ron says thinking of how nobody invited him to have tea in a long time. The Americans would've surely offered it to him, but it wasn't their custom. **

**Ron drank his tea happily, as the crup he was handling crawled on his lap and lay down. Ron pets him. **

**"Hagrid, if I were to tell you something, you wouldn't tell anybody… would you? Dumbledore already knows, mind you." Ron says. **

**"I swear on me father's grave." Hagrid says. **

**Ron knew that Hagrid would never tell if he swore it on his father's grave. He put his tea down in fear of dropping it. **

**"I don't know what to do, Malfoy somehow knows everything I said, or more of everything I didn't say. I'm afraid he'll tell a certain person, and I know if anybody should tell them what I did, it's me, but I can't tell them." Ron says. **

**"I'm listening." Hagrid says. **

**"Here's the thing. I made myself promise not to cooperate with them; I made myself not answer his questions, no matter the cost. I only answered one question, but it didn't matter. They wanted to know where Harry stayed on the holidays, and I told them here, but I couldn't fight the Imperius Curse." Ron says turning red with humiliation. "Still they didn't get anything they didn't already know. The thing is… I don't know that I did the right thing." **

**"Fightin' You-know-who, is the right thing. I'm surprised yer could fight against him. You-know-who would make yer tell him, and with torture spells, well they're bloody impossible to fight." Hagrid says. **

**"I figured he was going to kill me. The pain would only be temporary, so I didn't give in. The thing is… he offered me choices… he said he wouldn't kill certain people if I just answered his questions. He threatened Hermione's parents' lives, and that's worse than Hermione dying, because she'd hate me forever if she lost her parents, and she wouldn't be the same, but then they threatened her life. I didn't mean it; I wish I could take it back. I risked her life for Harry's. I don't know if I was right or wrong, but I risked her life… Worst yet, is Ginny… I risked her life. My parents would never forgive me if I told them. I can't forgive myself; I mean I risked my own blood for Harry. The worst part was I had ended our friendship before I was suspended." Ron says. "I just don't know if I did the right thing or not. I know I should at least tell Hermione, before Malfoy does and try to explain to her that I do care about her, but I can't look at her in the eyes without feeling like I stabbed her in the back." **

**Hagrid put his trash can size hand on Ron's shoulder, which actually covered both shoulders. "Hermione's life is no longer in jeopardy, neither is yer sister's now that you're back to protecting her. Hermione's parents won't be harmed if Dumbledore knows. Yer said he knows, so he's probably already taken care of it. You-know-who gave yer an ultimatum. There was no right or wrong. It was a lose-lose situation." Hagrid says reassuringly. "Everything will heal in time. Hermione and Ginny would both give their lives fer Harry." **

**"I just don't want them to think that I don't care about them." Ron says. **

**"They know you care about them." Hagrid says. **

**"Hagrid, thanks for listening and helping me out. I've been meaning to get it all off my chest. People in America listened to me, but none of them understood my friendship with Hermione." Ron says. **

**"Anytime." Hagrid says. **

**"Well, thanks a million." Ron says. He lifts the Crup gently off him, but he wakes up and whimpers as Ron leaves Hagrid's hut. Ron could hear him howl as he walked up toward the castle. **

**Ron had his dinner in the common room as he started writing fake stuff down for his Divination homework. **

**When Hermione and Harry came upstairs to the common room, Hermione had tears in her eyes, and Harry was angrier than Ron had ever seen him. **

**"What happened?" Ron asks. **

**Harry punched Ron hard in the face. Ron fell and covered his eye. **

**"I hate you. You should've told. Sirius was right; I should never be a friend with somebody like you. Go back to America." Harry says. **

**"What are you talking about?" Ron cries in disbelief. **

**Harry shook his head in disbelief and started for his dorm. "Like you don't know." Harry mutters. Ron stood up and was about to go after him, but Hermione had him by the shoulder. **

**"I apologized to Malfoy. I hope he gets you suspended again soon, only this time, I hope you die." Hermione says. Hermione kneed Ron in the balls. Ron fell to the floor trying not to cry. "I take back my apology, you deserve every insult you hear." Hermione ran off to her dorm leaving Ron to cry in the common room. **

**Ron was cursing himself nonstop, when Dean, Seamus, and Neville entered the common room. **

**Dean and Seamus glared at Ron and went up to the dorm, while Neville stuck around. Tears filled Ron's eyes. Why did everybody hate him? **

**"That was really mean of you." Neville says. **

**"What was? Everybody hates me, and nobody's offered me an explanation." Ron says. **

**"Like you don't know." Neville says heading for the stairs. **

**"No, actually, I don't." Ron says loudly. **

**"You don't remember calling Hermione a mudblood?" Neville asks. **

**"What?" Ron asks in disbelief. **

**"Malfoy told us." Neville says. **

**"Malfoy told you lies then!" Ron yells. "That's the last thing I'd call Hermione! How could you all listen to Malfoy? God, I wish I were back in America. People don't accuse me of things and they don't call me liars!" Ron yells angrily. Ron runs up the stairs to the dorm, Neville follows him. **

**"What do you want?" Harry asks. **

**"None of your business." Ron says opening his trunk. He starts throwing all of his clothes in it. **

**"Where do you think you're going?" Harry asks. **

**"Back to America. People don't hit me for no reason, and people trust me there." Ron says. "People are a lot brighter there as well. People here take a liar's word rather than mine." **

**"But you are the liar." Harry says. **

**"Whatever you say, I'm not putting up with this. I can't." Ron mutters to himself. Ron punches the wall in frustration. "You know I could've ended it all, if I told Voldemort where you lived on the holidays, who protected you there… I could've been away from all this. I wouldn't have had to suffer all that torture if I had only told, but I didn't tell. I risked my sister's life and Hermione's life for your skin. My parents would disown me if they knew, and choosing between you and Hermione was the hardest choice I ever had to make, but I made myself protect your skin no matter what the cost. They broke my arm because I wouldn't tell; they broke my ankle. They performed the Cruciatus Curse on me three times. Once is too much as it is, and I thought I was used to pain. Now you're listening to Malfoy, who's saying I'm calling Hermione a mudblood, when I coughed up slugs three years ago when trying to curse Malfoy for calling her the same thing. You know I don't call anybody that." Ron cries. **

**Ron shuts his trunk after packing everything and transfigures it into a stone. He pockets it and leaves with tears in his eyes. Before he could leave however, he bumped into Ginny, Fred, and George as they entered the common room. **

**"Ron!" The three of them said in unison. Ron gave them each a hug. **

**"Hey, I can't stay here anymore." Ron cries. **

**"Come here." George says. George and Fred bring Ron and Ginny up to their dorm. **

**"What happened what's wrong?" George asks. **

**"It's a long story." Ron says. **

**"You've been gone a long time, please just explain." Fred says. **

**"I survived somehow, but to ensure my safety they moved me to America. Bill and Charlie lied to you, because Rita Skeeter was lurking around and they didn't want Voldemort getting wind that I was still alive. I went to school in America for the last two months, and it was great. I had so many friends who trusted me… I come here, and everybody hates me. I'm a month ahead in lessons, and Malfoy's spreading lies. He's saying that I risked Hermione's life instead of Harry's because I think of her as a mudblood, but you know that is the last way I think of her!" Ron cries. "Everybody believes Malfoy, and everybody hates me. I can't stay here anymore. I can't." **

**"You can't leave, please stay for me." Ginny pleads with tears in her eyes. **

**"Ginny, you should hate me right now." Ron cries avoiding her eyes. **

**"I'd never hate you." Ginny says. **

**"Voldemort threatened your life for answers, but I didn't answer them. I'm sorry." Ron sobs. **

**Ginny hugs Ron. "You did the right thing." Ginny says. "If it helps I wouldn't answer You-know-who for you any day either." Ginny jokes. **

**Ron hugged his sister before he kissed her forehead. Then he left for Dumbledore's office. Ron gave the password and knocked on Dumbledore's door. Remus was still there; Ron didn't look for Sirius as he closed the door. **

**"Mr. Weasley, what seems to be the problem?" Professor Dumbledore asks. **

**"I don't want to be here anymore. I can't be here anymore. Please, send me back to America." Ron cries desperately. **

**"Mr. Weasley, what happened?" Professor Dumbledore asks. **

**"Everybody hates me because Malfoy's telling everybody what his father told him! I risked my sister's life for somebody who hates me. I can't be here. I haven't learned anything new; I'm a month ahead of everybody in classes. I can't stay here. I _won't _stay here! I'll run through the Forbidden Forest or punch somebody if you have to kick me out to let me go. I'd rather be killed than stay here. I'll send a letter to Mr. Malfoy with all the answers he wants if he'll put Draco under the Imperius Curse to have him kill me. I don't want to be here." Ron cries. **

**Sirius transfigured himself back into human form. "I'll kill you if you do." **

**"You'll stay where you are." Remus warns. **

**"Mr. Weasley, there's obviously some sort of problem here, but it's really not as big as you think. I don't believe you took your calming potion today." Dumbledore says. "Perhaps if you had some, you'd realize the situation is nothing more than a bunch of rumors misunderstood. I'll even speak with Mr. Malfoy about this immediately." **

**"No, you're the one misunderstanding! Ever since I got here its been hell! I was actually enjoying learning, and better yet, I was actually learning something. Everybody here is a month behind me in lessons, and the only class I've actually enjoyed is Care of Magical Creatures, because Hagrid's back, but it's not even fun anymore, because Professor Grubbly-Plank is still there. Snape doesn't hear the taunts Malfoy whispers. Nobody did before, why is now any different. I'm on a worse path than before, and I want to go back to a place where somebody actually gives a damn about me being alive or not!" Ron yells. **

**"You want to go home? Take the month off? You said you're ahead of everybody. It can be arranged." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"No, I don't want to go home! I'm not safe there! I want to go back to America!" Ron cries. **

**"I can't allow that." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"Why not? I'm unhappy here. I'm not learning anything!" Ron cries. **

**"Mr. Weasley, I recommend you sleep on this decision. If in the morning you think Salem has more for you than Hogwarts does, than I will indeed bring it up with your parents, but only if you stay out of trouble, and take a calming potion." Professor Dumbledore says. "And Remus will help you with your decision making. You don't mind Remus, do you?" **

**"Not at all." Remus says. **

**"And Sirius you can find Harry and ask him about Ron's black eye." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"Yes, I'll find out why there isn't two of them." Sirius says. He changes into his Animagus form and runs out of Dumbledore's office. **

**Ron leaves Dumbledore's office as well, only with Remus following him. He went down to the hospital wing and took some calming potion. Then he started to leave the castle. **

**"Where do you think you're going?" Remus asks. **

**"I need to talk to Hagrid." Ron says. **

**"Why don't you try talking to me?" Remus asks. **

**"Fine." Ron says angrily. **

**They enter an empty classroom and Ron begins telling Remus about the attack on the burrow. **

**Meanwhile, up in the Gryffindor Common Room Hagrid enters with a howling Crup in his arms. "Anyone seen Weasley?" Hagrid asks. **

**"He's gone to see Dumbledore, I expect. He's going back to America." Harry says. **

**"What?" Hagrid asks. **

**"Is he for real? That's excellent. I'll be happy if I never see him again." Hermione says. **

**"What do you mean?" Hagrid asks. **

**"He didn't tell You-know-who anything to put me in danger, because I'm a 'mudblood'." Hermione says offensively. **

**"That's the biggest load of dung I've ever heard." Hagrid says. "One, he's thrown up slugs trying to curse Malfoy when he called yeh a mudblood. Two, he didn't say anything because he didn't want to cooperate with the Dark lord. He put up a hard fight not to say anything. He was down in me hut just a bit ago and told me that he couldn't look yeh in the eye, because he felt too guilty fer putting you in danger to begin with. He was asking me which was right and which was wrong, and I told him he did what was right. This way You-know-who had no bait on him he could use. If he had told You-know-who anything in order to save yer life, You-know-who could've had more information on Harry. You-know-who would've killed yer anyway if he hadn't been able to warn Dumbledore. Yer two should be proud to have him a friend. He went through a lot." Harry says. **

**"Malfoy said he called me a mudblood, told You-know-who he didn't care about mudbloods like me." Hermione says. "He even put his own sister's life in jeopardy, did you hear about that?" **

**"Yes, and nothing killed him more than putting your lives in danger. Hasn't forgiven himself yet. He was praying you'd never find out so yer couldn't hate him worse than he could hate himself. Yeh didn't honestly take Malfoy's word on that? Yeh asked him right?" Hagrid asks. **

**"No. We just flipped. Gosh, how stupid were we?" Hermione asks. **

**"I'd say darn stupid if yeh believed Malfoy." Hagrid says. **

**"Why are you looking for Ron?" Seamus asks looking from the whining Crup to Hagrid. **

**"I thought I'd give him a welcome back present, and this one won't shut up." Hagrid says. **

**"We'll give it to him if you want to get back." Hermione offers. **

**"Tell him not ter make any decisions without consultin' me first." Hagrid says handing the leash to Hermione. **

**Hagrid leaves. **

**"We've got to be the stupidest people, believing something out of Malfoy's mouth." Harry says. **

**"It isn't like he offered to tell us anything that happened." Hermione says picking up the crup. **

**"Yes, but we believed the words of the son of the death eater. He told us that to destroy Ron. Some friends we are." Harry says. **

**Meanwhile, Ron was talking to Remus. **

**"…Nobody understands me here! People care in America." Ron says sadly. **

**"You want to go back there because of a misunderstanding? What happens if someone misunderstands you in America?" Remus asks. **

**"They take time to understand me." Ron says. **

**"Yes, but you've only known them for two months. You've known Harry and everybody for five years now. There are bound to be fights in friendships. If you run, you let Malfoy have power over you. When I was going to school here, Sirius played that trick on Snape, and it involved me." Remus began. **

**"I've heard this in the shrieking shack." Ron says rolling his eyes. **

**"Snape could've blackmailed me all he wanted he could've gotten me to leave, but I didn't, because I wouldn't let him power me." Remus says. **

**"That's Sirius' fault. At least you had other friends." Ron says. "Everybody hates me." Ron says. **

**"And rather than correct them, you want to leave. I understand that." Remus says. **

**"So you'll tell Dumbledore to let me leave?" Ron asks hopefully. **

**"No, but you will tomorrow if that's your decision." Remus says. **

**"It is my decision." Ron says. **

**"Dumbledore wants you to sleep on it." Remus says. **

**Ron shook his head and left for the common room. **

**When he got there he saw Hermione, but said nothing to her, but Hermione surprisingly said something to Ron. **

**"Ron! I'm sorry." Hermione cries. **

**Ron stopped on the steps, but couldn't bring himself to comprehend her words or speak. **

**"Hagrid's brought you this as a welcome back present. He said she wouldn't stop howling, and you're better handling her than he is. He says you can't leave without discussing it with him first. I didn't mean what I said. I was so stupid to believe Malfoy. You just wouldn't talk to me; fill me in, or anything. I was willing to believe him, because I wanted an explanation on why you look sick when you look at me. The whole school was saying it, and the whole school was wrong. I was wrong." Hermione cries. She knew he'd never forgive her. **

**"Say that again, you're what?" Ron asks turning around with his eyebrows raised and a grin spreading across his tear-stained face. **

**"The whole school was wrong?" Hermione asks. **

**"No, you were wrong." Ron says grinning. **

**"Fine, I was wrong this one time, will you leave it alone now?" Hermione asks impatiently. **

**"Miracles do happen! You were wrong!" Ron says coming down the steps. "And you admitted to it!" **

**Ron walks over to her grinning. **

**"Let me hear that one more time." Ron says. **

**"Oh, stop it." Hermione says. **

**"Let me hear it one more time, and I won't bug you about it for a bit." Ron says. **

**"I was wrong." Hermione says frustrated. "I'm sorry." **

**"Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" Ron asks. **

**Hermione glared at him. "Don't push it." Hermione says sitting down in the armchair in front of the fire. Ron sat on the arm of her chair. "Don't make me push you. You know I wouldn't have been wrong if you had only told me what happened." Hermione says. **

**"You never asked." Ron says softly. **

**"Would you have told me?" Hermione asks. **

**"I guess, maybe." Ron says. **

**"What really happened?" Hermione asks grabbing Ron's hand. **

**"The whole story?" Ron asks. **

**"Please." Hermione says. **

**"I came downstairs, because I heard a crash. I knew my Grandfather didn't want to see me, I was risking another whipping by going downstairs, but I went anyway to see what had happened. Voldemort and the Death Eaters were there, surrounding my Grandfather asking him where I was. Wormtail squeaked in his Animagus form letting them know I was at the foot of the steps. I told my Grandfather to go; after all it was my fault for being home in the first place. I didn't want the guilt of my Grandfather's death on my conscious." Ron starts. **

**"He got away though. I didn't find that out until later, though. Voldemort had a tight grip on my shoulder and he dragged me over to a chair in the kitchen. Before he could bind me, I ducked under the table and crawled to the front door, but there was a death eater out front. I tried to go back for the stairs, I figured if I climbed down the tree I could escape, but Voldemort grabbed my ankle and broke it. He forced me to the chair with a charm, but it was so strong I broke it when I hit it, and I crawled to the back door. I wasn't fast enough; three death eaters caught me and brought me back. They bound me to a chair." Ron continues. **

**Hermione noticed that he was staring at the fireplace in a trance sort of way as he spoke. **

**"They told me I was responsible for my Grandfather's death. I knew I was, but I wouldn't let them have satisfaction in hearing me admit it. I told them it was their fault, as they did kill him. I said before I didn't know whether he survived or not. I only know what they told me. They got mad because I was being stubborn. He performed the Cruciatus Curse." Ron stops and Hermione saw him shudder. **

**Hermione squeezes Ron's hand reassuringly. **

**"I thought I was used to pain, but it was unbelievably painful… I thought I was being burned alive, I felt like I was on fire. It felt like somebody was ripping my skin off, and they were breaking every bone in my body…" Ron stops and took a deep breath. **

**"He said if I didn't answer their questions, I'd be getting that again. I vowed not to cooperate with them, no matter what they asked. I told them I wouldn't answer anything. He said that I would, and he would remind me of the consequences for not answering the most powerful wizard there was. I told him that he wasn't the most powerful wizard there was, that Dumbledore was. He performed the curse again." Ron says. **

**"When it ended I hit the ground, there was glass everywhere. I had somehow been levitated when the curse was performed. I was having trouble breathing, and I was bleeding. I couldn't move." Ron says looking at his palms. He still had cuts on them from his fingernails digging into them. **

**"Malfoy's dad asked Voldemort if he could speak to me, and then he hit me." Ron's hand retraced his face where Malfoy had broken his skin. It was replaced with a new bruise and cut where Harry had hit him. **

**"He asked me where Harry stayed on the holidays. I erased Harry from my memory. I was trying to think of anything else, but he hit me bringing me back to reality. He put me under the Imperius Curse. They asked where Harry stayed during the holidays. I told them Hogwarts. I couldn't fight the Imperius curse. They asked me where he stayed during the summer where his relations lived. I didn't answer. I think it was wearing off. They said they wouldn't kill you if I told… they asked who meant more to me. I couldn't answer. I'm sorry Hermione." Ron cried. Tears fell down his face. **

**"He said I was a disgrace to the wizarding world, to have feelings for a mudblood. I told them you weren't a mudblood, that only dark wizards like them were mudbloods. They did the Cruciatus Curse again. It was killing me." Ron cries. **

**"They knew it was killing me, because their questions came faster. They asked where he stayed, who protected him… They said I was risking my sister's life by not telling. They said I had one last chance to save your life… they asked if I wanted company when I died. I couldn't answer. I couldn't find my voice, and I was too weak. Everything was numb and blurry." Ron says. **

**"They picked me up and brought me into the living room. They wedged my arm between the grandfather clock and the wall, and pushed me forward. My shoulder was dislocated, and my arm broke in two different places. I fell to the ground. I couldn't stand anymore I was too weak. The last thing I remember was MacNair's axe, and everything went dark." Ron says. **

**"When I awoke I was in a Salem hospital. My parents and brothers came to see me. I wanted to write you, but they said I was supposed to be dead it was too dangerous. I told them to let you know there was a book under my bed you might be interested in. I told them to say it was my last words or something. I wanted to let you know that I cared… that I care about you. I do care about you, and you don't know how badly I hate myself for not answering their questions and putting you in danger." Ron says. **

**"They would've killed me either way, but you're alive and if Dumbledore knows he can make sure that your sister and myself will be safe during the holidays. Don't dwell on what could've happened. I dwelled on what could've been different that could've saved you when you were supposedly dead, and it didn't change anything. By miracle you came back, and alive." Hermione says. **

**Hermione and Ron were so close to each other… Hermione stood on tiptoe and kissed Ron, taking both Ron and her own self by surprise. Ron kisses her in return. Ron pulls away first though. Hermione covers her mouth with her hand and looks away trying to hide the anxiety and disappointment in her eyes. **

**Ron took her hands into his own. "I would never call you a mudblood. That fight in Diagon Alley with Malfoy before school started was all because he said I had feelings for a mudblood. I don't. I have feelings for a person with beautiful blood everything about her is beautiful. I have feelings for you Hermione, and I don't want to hide them anymore." Ron says. **

**"I was jealous of Padma, Sabrina, and Tabitha. I wanted to be the girl you liked more than a friend. I like you, like you. I care about you very much, and I would rather die with you than live here without you." Hermione says. "I'm glad you're alive." Hermione says. **

**Hermione takes Ron's hands and holds them up to her lips. She kisses his cuts and blows cool air on them. She kisses Ron on the lips again, only this time her mouth was open slightly, and she allowed Ron's tongue to explore her mouth, and she too got her chance of exploring his. He had the flavor of strawberries in his mouth. Hermione was enjoying the sensation of kissing. Hermione felt her hands up and down Ron's back as she pulled him closer to her. She pulled his robes off and then pulled his shirt off throwing them both on the floor. **

**Hermione pulls back for a second to look at Ron's body. Hermione had never seen Ron's chest before. Ron's chest was pale, and the scars on his back had been removed. He had freckles all over his arms, but there were few on his chest and back. Ron had a tight abdomen. Roxanne had admired his 'six pack,' when she had walked in on him getting changed. Ron still felt insecure. Nobody had looked at him the way Hermione was looking at him now. **

**She smiled at him and hugged him tightly. Then she stood up and started kissing Ron's earlobe, playing with his earring with her tongue. They both laughed and were grateful of the time and how nobody was around. **

**Hermione reached into the pocket of her robes and pulled out the Marauder's map. She saw that the only people in the common room were she and Ron, and she saw a door in the common room that led to another room. She looked up and where the door would be was a bookshelf. There was a hidden room, behind there. Hermione showed Ron the map. Ron picked up his robes and shirt and walked over to the bookshelf. On the map it showed Hermione tapping the door with her wand and a speech bubble above Hermione told her to say '_Transcendium.'_ **

**"Transcendium!" Hermione whispers, tapping the bookcase. **

**The bookcase turned halfway allowing Hermione and Ron to walk by and then it turned back again. **

**"How'd you get that from Harry?" Ron asks. **

**"Told him I was going to apologize, was going to wait up for you." Hermione says. **

**"I never knew this was here." Ron says looking around. It was a room like the common room, only smaller. The carpet and curtains were scarlet. There was a sofa in front of a small fireplace. Other than that the room held nothing. **

**Hermione sat down on the sofa. Ron sat next to her and kissed her. His robes and shirt were still off of him, and Ron removed Hermione's robes. She kissed him and he ran his hands up her shirt. He removed her shirt and kissed her chest. Ron was about to take off Hermione's bra when they heard somebody. Hermione put her finger in front of her mouth as she took out the Marauder's map. **

**A look of surprise and confusion made Ron awfully curious. Then they heard somebody whisper "Transcendium" from outside. Hermione threw her robes on and buttoned them as quickly as possible just as two people entered the room. One had a look of amusement on their face; the other was torn between amusement and surprise. **

**"Hello Fred, Angelina… what are you two doing here?" Hermione asks quickly. She was holding the map behind her back. **

**"I was er… just showing Angelina this room I found the other day." Fred says. **

**"Yes, and it's apparent what you two were doing down here. Hermione, your shirt's on the ground." Angelina says trying hard not to laugh. **

**"How'd you two find this room?" Fred asks. **

**"A certain map. I'm assuming you found out the same way?" Ron asks. **

**"Fred, Angelina, please don't tell anybody about what was going on here." Hermione says. **

**"Why are you ashamed of my little brother?" Fred asks grinning mischievously. **

**"No, I don't need another suspension, is what we're asking." Ron says quickly. **

**"Oh, well you have our silence." Angelina says. **

**"And you'll have ours." Hermione agrees. **

**Fred and Ron shook hands in a business like way. **

**"Well, since you two are already at it, we'll leave." Angelina says. **

**"We really weren't doing anything." Hermione says. **

**"That's why your shirt is on the floor." Fred reminds. **

**"No, it's really not what you think." Ron says. **

**"Please, explain, I want to hear this." Angelina says. **

**"We saw this room, and it was really hot, so I took off my robes and shirt, I get overheated nowadays. Hermione thought it was hot as well, but she said her shirt was too tight and transparent to take off her robes, so she just took off her shirt." Ron says. "Did that make any sense?" **

**"Not a lot since its freezing, but it was a good try." Fred says. **

**"Well we'll be leaving now." Angelina says. **

**They left. **

**Ron put his shirt back on and then his robes. **

**"What are you doing?" Hermione asks. **

**"I almost let my hormones take control over me just then." Ron says buttoning his robes. **

**Hermione sat down on the couch. **

**"What's wrong?" Ron asks seeing the disappointment in her eyes. **

**"Nothing. Everything's brilliant." Hermione says not looking at him. **

**"Seriously." Ron says. **

**"This was all your hormones, you never meant any of it?" Hermione asks. **

**"No! I meant everything. If I continued my hormones would've controlled me, and I might've done something stupid." Ron says. **

**"It's stupid because it's with me?" Hermione asks. **

**"No…" Ron says kissing Hermione. **

**The next morning Hermione awoke Ron frantically at ten. "Ron, Ron wake up!" Hermione cries shaking him awake. **

**"What is it?" Ron asks rubbing his eyes. **

**"It's ten o'clock." Hermione says. **

**"It's what?" Ron asks sitting up not comprehending Hermione's words. **

**"Ten! Ron, we're late for class!" Hermione yells brushing her hair into two braids. **

**"Oh no, McGonagall's going to kick me out again!" Ron says. "I can't go home." **

**"She won't send you home." Hermione says pulling on her robes. **

**"We can't enter together. It'll look suspicious." Ron says. **

**"It won't matter, we're both not there now. It's already looking suspicious." Hermione says. **

**"No, I won't go then." Ron says. **

**"You have to, I'm sure we're costing points from Gryffindor every second." Hermione says. **

**"Only for you. I already know what McGonagall's teaching." Ron says giving Hermione a kiss. **

**"Where were we last night?" Hermione asks. **

**"Here." Ron says looking at Hermione as if she were crazy. **

**"No, if anybody asks." Hermione says. **

**"They won't, just say we were talking and went to bed really late, and we got up early, took a walk, and didn't realize the time." Ron says. **

**"That's good enough. Let's go." Hermione says taking Ron by the hand and pulling him out of the room. **

**They run to Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall looks at the pair, as does the rest of the class. **

**"Sorry we're late Professor." Hermione says anxiously. **

**"Would you like to tell us where you were? I sent Ms. Brown and Mr. Finnigan to get you, but you weren't in your dorms, nor were you in the common room or the Great Hall." Professor McGonagall says. **

**"No, we weren't there. We went on a walk this morning and lost track of time." Ron explains. **

**"Well, I find that interesting Mr. Weasley, because if you did indeed go on a walk that was not out of the boundaries of the school, you would hear the morning bell as outside classes always do, and they're on our school's perimeter." Professor McGonagall says. **

**"We were having an important conversation, and we didn't hear it." Ron says. **

**"Ms. Granger do you have anymore lies that Mr. Weasley has forgotten to try?" Professor McGonagall asks. **

**"We were having an important conversation and I honestly never heard the bell this morning." Hermione says. **

**"Either way you both have detentions for tonight, and you have cost Gryffindor twenty points for being tardy." Professor McGonagall says. "Please take your seats." **

**"I need to go see Professor Dumbledore." Ron says. **

**"After class." Professor McGonagall says. "You've already missed enough." **

**"I'm a month ahead of you, I'm a registered Animagus. Professor Dumbledore told me to see him in the morning." Ron says. **

**"And when the class ends in an hour, it will still be morning." Professor McGonagall says. **

**Ron walks out of the classroom. **

**Hermione looks at the door with disbelief as she takes a seat next to Harry. **

**"Potter, catch her up." Professor McGonagall says. She leaves the classroom. **

**"Where were you two?" Harry asks. **

**"Talking. I got him to tell me the truth…" Hermione glares at Malfoy. **

**"Did he tell you that he bawled like a baby?" Malfoy asks. **

**Hermione whipped out her wand and pointed it at Malfoy. "I could do the curse right now, and we'd all get to see you scream. Are you up to the bet?" Hermione asks. **

**"Let's see the muggle money wouldn't do me any good mudblood, but a lifetime of never seeing you again would be lovely. Please." Malfoy grins standing up. **

**"Azkaban doesn't seem too thrilling after all. Maybe I'll settle with this." Hermione knees Malfoy between the legs before going back to her seat and twirling her wand between her fingers and smiling at Malfoy as if daring him to say something. **

**Meanwhile, Ron was talking to Dumbledore. **

**"I thought about it, and I almost reconsidered, but I can't stay here. My teachers call me liars and hate me. I told you yesterday I'm a month ahead of everybody. Snape is madder than ever because I'm a month ahead of the class, and McGonagall called me a liar." Ron says. "In America, I actually learned, and enjoyed learning, because my teachers cared, and there were two teachers in every class, I was behind in their school, so one teacher took me aside and caught me up in a day. Over there the teachers give me respect… here, I've got to deal with McGonagall and Snape. I can't sit through Binns' class. I've learned everything he drones on about, a month ago, and I learned it from two enthusiastic teachers who really made you learn it. I never had a problem with one teacher over there, and if I ever were to have one I could do something about it. Unlike here, where everybody's got to deal with bias teachers, and nobody except _you_ gives anyone a second chance." **

**"Mr. Weasley, I spoke with your parents last night. They can't afford to send you to America, and your Grandfather won't pay, because he wants to keep an eye on you." Professor Dumbledore says sadly. **

**"Like he kept an eye on me at the burrow? Wonderful." Ron says bitterly. "I might as well drop out and let Voldemort kill me. I'm not staying here." **

**"Mr. Weasley, you are staying here." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"I won't attend classes. What's the point of staying if I'm not learning anything? I'll write my parents, or if worse comes to worse I'll just leave." Ron says. **

**Professor McGonagall barges in. "Mr. Weasley, you do not walk out of my class." Professor McGonagall says angrily. **

**"I already did. Expel me." Ron says. **

**"Professor Dumbledore, do you see how disrespectful he is?" Professor McGonagall asks. **

**"I'm only disrespectful to people who are disrespectful to me, and calling me a liar is disrespectful and humiliating." Ron says. **

**"You were lying." Professor McGonagall says. **

**"See, she doesn't even ask. She just says it. I can't stand this damn place anymore. I'm leaving." Ron says. **

**"I told you before you can't leave." Professor Dumbledore says. **

**"I'll show you how possible it is that I can, because I am." Ron says. **

**Ron leaves Dumbledore's office and makes his way down to the entrance hall. He stops at the doors. He had a decision to make. He had to decide if his feelings for Hermione were strong enough to stay with all the disrespect and depression that Hogwarts was giving him. **


	17. Journeys And Acceptance

**Chapter Sixteen**

**Journeys And Acceptance**

Author's Note: My apologies on the delay of posting… My friend came up from Delaware, I've been to the movies, and I've been working. I'll update sooner from now on. Again I apologize for keeping you waiting, I know how it is to wait for updates so sorry!

**Ron ran as fast as he could out of the castle doors, out of the castle gates, and turned into a fox and ran to the village of Hogsmeade, unsure of what he was going to do or where he was going to go, but one thing was for sure, he couldn't stay there anymore. Once he got to the forest behind Hogsmeade, not the Forbidden Forest, he smelled for danger. As foxes were part of the Canine family, and as Canines could smell almost anything, Ron could tell if there were any other animals around him, and though none smelled of danger, there were lots of animals here. He smelled the food that villagers were cooking and eating. He could smell the scent of people, though they couldn't see him. Ron was careful to stay inside the forest, afraid to come out. It started to storm. Ron thought the hardest thing now was finding shelter to duck under, but it came easy enough. He cuddled up in the hollow of a tree. He'd stay there until the storm passed, or so he thought.**

**Ron was in shock when he smelt the scent of people growing closer and closer to him. Surely, no witch or wizard hunted foxes, right? Ron couldn't move back any further, but the scent of people was growing stronger and stronger. Suddenly, it was so strong that Ron knew they were standing right outside his tree. Ron listened for voices, but there were none. Only the sound of feet crunching leaves and twigs as they stepped. Then he saw a hand it was reaching toward him. It grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and dragged him out of the tree. Ron wouldn't bite unless it was necessary, but he wanted to know who had found him. Was it McGonagall, the Ministry could trace Animagi; to make sure people didn't abuse the privilege. Or were villagers actually so smart they knew he was there?**

**To Ron's surprise not only was it McGonagall, but also Grandfather was with her. He had dragged him out. Ron started to back up rather quickly, but Grandfather kicked him hard in the ribs, causing him to whimper. McGonagall said a spell that forced Ron back into his human force. Ron clutched his ribs, as he stood up. Grandfather grabbed Ron by the hair.**

**"I reckon You-know-who must've made you crazy, you've lost your damn mind all right, running away from school." Grandfather says.**

**"Let go of me." Ron yells.**

**"John, John, I'll take him from here." McGonagall says.**

**"No, he needs to be punished!" Grandfather says.**

**"Don't you think I've been punished enough? You left me to die!" Ron reminds him.**

**It earned him a hard punch across the face.**

**"John! Please, Mr. Weasley is under our custody during the school year. I'll take him to the castle, and we'll take care of this." Professor McGonagall says.**

**"And let him runaway again? I think not. Look what you're supervision has done already." Grandfather says.**

**"Yours wasn't any better!" Ron says.**

**"May I remind you that hadn't you earned that suspension, none of it would've happened!" Grandfather says.**

**"I earned a suspension, but I didn't deserve everything that followed!" Ron yells.**

**"Keep taking that tone with me, you'll be grateful for it when you get home." Grandfather says.**

**Ron couldn't believe how cruel his Grandfather was being. He wasn't caring like he had been at Christmas. All the guilt must've slipped away, and he was back to being cruel again.**

**Ron turned himself into a fox and ran as fast as he could, following the train tracks as a guide to go south. It would bring him to London anyway. He stayed out of view as he ran running through forests. He knew McGonagall and his Grandfather probably still could trace him, but he didn't care. He ran for hours in snowy hills and plains. He was halfway home when he had to cross water. There was the railroad, or there was the freezing ice water. Deciding that the train was only used for transportation back and forth for the holidays, he decided to try and use the railroad. He carefully trotted on the tracks that were kilometers above the water, and went for kilometers until the next patch of land. He was about halfway to the other side, when he smelt it. A train was coming. He had no choice but to jump.**

**Ron's insides froze when he hit the water. It was so cold it burned. His lungs hurt. He submerged and doggy paddled a few more kilometers until he reached land. Land was above him; he couldn't climb up the cliff, unless… Ron transfigured himself human again and knew he was getting sick. He coughed and shivered as he daringly climbed the cliff. The rocks that he grabbed onto were slippery, and he knew that if he fell, he'd die from hitting the rocks at the bottom. He had to keep himself from falling. He carefully climbed up the cliff and brought himself to more snowy plains. Ron transfigured himself into his fox form, and he ran through the snow trying to get warm, but he was only getting weaker. With no food in his system, with freezing water around him, running was not the best choice though it was efficient.**

**Ron's run brought him to Platform 9¾. He went through the barrier and ran out of King's Cross Station. He was subtle as he left the station without anybody knowing. Muggles would make a scene if they saw a fox in any public place. So Ron slyly slid out, always watching his back. It had been a forty-eight hour non-stop journey to get to London, but that was only the beginning.**

**Ron knew that if he were indeed going to get to America, he'd need to start by heading west. Ron ran through rain and snow. Ron wouldn't dare eat rabbits, although the fox in him begged him too. He wouldn't eat anything on the streets or in the trash, although if he had to run much more he would have to, and he knew he would be running much more, but he still wouldn't bring himself to steal or eat off the street.**

**It had taken him a week, but finally he reached one of his destinations. Plymouth. There were ships here. The only problem was getting on them. He hid behind some crates and watched and listened.**

**"Those crates over there need to be shipped tonight." A man says pointing to the crates in front of Ron.**

**"Where they headed?" Another man asks.**

**"Boston." The other man says.**

**Ron remembered from a geography class in Primary school that Boston was in Massachusetts where Salem was. He had to get in those crates, somehow.**

**He did it very carefully. When everybody was on a lunch break, he transfigured himself into human form and climbed into one. Then he transfigured himself back into his fox form and he curled into a ball underneath boxes.**

**Later that evening, he felt the crate move it was dark inside the crate, so he couldn't see anything. He felt himself hit the ground. He figured the muggle contraption swung him onto the boat. He stayed awake the whole bumpy ride. The water must've been roughed, not that he knew anything about the English Channel or the Ocean. He could just feel the boat rocking roughly. He would've thrown up had he had any food in the last few days.**

**The boat ride lasted a week. When they arrived in America it was five in the morning. The crate was emptied on American soil, and Ron snuck out in his fox form. There was a hazy mist in the air, and Ron ran to the forest, as it was beginning to snow. Ron was glad for less complicated thoughts, he was emotionally drained and extremely sick. Had it not been for Grandfather and Voldemort he'd not have been able to endure the journey. **

**Now that he was in Boston, he still had to travel to Salem. Only he found out when he started to travel north, that he wasn't in Massachusetts. He was in America, but he had gotten in a crate that was shipped to the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. Ron wanted to cry more than ever. The thought of the journey being longer and harder overwhelmed him. Ron had no time to cry though; he'd better waste any energy he had left on running. So he ran northwest to Richmond. He followed signs that said Washington 'so many miles' until he got to Washington, D.C. Then he followed signs to Philadelphia, which Ron knew was north. Ron thought that the whole of the United States was north at the moment.**

**He ran to Baltimore and swam under the Delaware Memorial Bridge to get to New Jersey, where he followed the turnpike, in the woods, going north. Ron took the turnpike through New York and followed signs that read East Hartford/Boston. He was going towards Boston, in Massachusetts. He was finally getting somewhere after traveling for at least fifteen hours. He kept running. He saw a sign that read N.H.-Maine/Boston. He was almost there. He had to be.**

**Finally, after nineteen hours of running in snow he was in Boston. He followed signs to Salem, and after another half hour, he finally reached his destination.**

**He entered the school slyly. It was two in the morning. He ran upstairs in the shadows and runs up to the sophomore dorms. He runs into dorm ten. Everyone was sleeping. Ron transfigured himself back into his human form, and he shook Derek awake, covering his mouth to keep him quiet. Derek was in shock as he sat up. He rubbed his eyes and still saw Ron, though he looked extremely sick, wet, and hurt, it was Ron.**

**"How?" Derek asks in a whisper.**

**Ron gestured toward the door without saying anything. Derek understood that Ron didn't want anybody else to know and talking in there would wake somebody, if not everybody. So Derek followed Ron down to the Rec room in only his boxers. Though, he brought his blanket with him. They took a seat on the armchairs. Derek gave Ron his blanket.**

**"No, you don't have too." Ron says sneezing.**

**"You need it. Let's go down to the nurse. How the heck did you get here?" Derek asks.**

**"I ran, swam, and hid in a crate on a ship coming here, and then I ran and swam some more." Ron says. "I don't want to go to the nurse, I've runaway. All the authorities probably know about me. I just can't go back." Ron has a coughing fit.**

**"You probably have pneumonia among other things. You really need to see the nurse. In the morning Ms. Turner could work out things with your parents and you could stay here maybe. On the summer you could stay at my house. My mom won't mind. She would love to take you in really." Derek says.**

**Ron sneezes and shivers.**

**"Come on you have to go to the nurse." Derek says.**

**"No." Ron says.**

**"Don't make me carry you." Derek says.**

**"Let it go, all right? I'm fine." Ron says stubbornly.**

**Derek throws Ron over his shoulder and carries him out of the Rec room and downstairs to the nurse's office.**

**"Nurse Web!" Derek yells.**

**Nurse Web came running out to Derek in a nightgown tying her robes around her. There had been no patients so she was sleeping.**

**"Derek, what is it?" Nurse Web asks.**

**Derek puts Ron down shutting the door.**

**"Mr. Weasley? How?" Nurse Web asks.**

**"Its not important. I'm fine." Ron says but has a coughing fit.**

**"Oh dear. That sounds terrible. Derek put him in bed two." Nurse Web says.**

**Derek picked Ron up and dropped him on bed two.**

**"How did you get here? I thought you left." Nurse Web says.**

**"He ran away." Derek says.**

**"Thanks a lot Derek, now everybody's going to know, and I'll have to go back!" Ron says.**

**"I won't tell anybody. How did you manage to get here though?" Nurse Web asks.**

**"I ran from Hogsmeade to London. I had to swim part of the way. Then from London I ran to Plymouth, and I hid in a crate that I thought was going to Boston, but it ended up in Virginia. I ran here and had to swim through a waterway." Ron says shivering. He was still soaked.**

**"Go take a hot shower, dress in these, and come back out here. Have you eaten anything?" Nurse Web asks.**

**"Not for two weeks." Ron says.**

**"What do you mean?" Derek asks.**

**"I was running the first week, and the second week I was in a crate coming here." Ron says.**

**Nurse Web felt Ron's forehead. He was burning up, though he had cold sweat on his forehead. He was shivering, and his teeth would be clattering, but he was trying to hide the fact that he was cold and sick.**

**Ron got off the bed to go take a hot shower. Derek saw him walk toward the door.**

**"Where you going?" Derek asks.**

**"To take a hot shower, like she says." Ron says.**

**"In here." Derek says pointing to the bathroom.**

**Ron comes out dressed in warm pajamas. He wasn't as cold anymore, but he was still sick. He got under an enchanted heating blanket and rested against the pillows. He was in comfort, despite the hunger pangs and the fact that he couldn't breathe without having a coughing fit.**

**"Take these." Nurse Web says.**

**There were four goblets.**

**"What are they?" Ron says.**

**"One's a sleeping potion, one's a calming potion, one's a pepper-up potion, and one's to fight off the pneumonia and anything else you might've caught. You realize how lucky you are to have not died from Hypothermia." Nurse Web says.**

**Derek enters with a tray of food. There was steak, mashed potatoes with gravy, corn on the cob and cornbread. He placed the tray next to the potions.**

**"Tea will be here shortly." Derek says and just a few seconds later it appeared on his bedside table.**

**"You shouldn't have. Thank you both." Ron says. Ron drank the potions and ate the meal greedily. He remembered finishing his tea before passing out.**

**Ron awoke the next morning to find Bill next to his bed. Ron sat up painfully. This couldn't be happening. He didn't travel two weeks just to get sick and go home the next day. He knew he should've kicked Derek.**

**"Calm down." Bill says reassuringly.**

**"I'm not going back." Ron says, but he had lost his voice, and his throat hurt.**

**"Tea?" Bill asks not hearing him.**

**Ron rolls his eyes and lays back. It was no use. Ron started building himself up again inside. He knew that if he were to go back he'd be a walking talking machine with no feelings. His grandfather'd punish him worse than ever, as well. He would have nothing to live for if he went back, except Hermione. That was a big exception, though.**

**"Hello?" Bill asks.**

**Ron closed his eyes wanting Bill to go away.**

**He woke up again around mid-afternoon. His parents were at his bed. "Do you even think about how worried we get when you pull stunts like this?" Mrs. Weasley asks calmly.**

**"Dumbledore said that my only problem was not having a way of transportation. I got here fine. You didn't have to pay for it and Grandfather didn't have to waste a sickle on me." Ron says. His throat still hurt, but his voice had returned to him.**

**"You didn't have our permission." Mr. Weasley says.**

**"I couldn't stay there another minute." Ron says.**

**"You could have, you chose not to… you didn't like the fact that things weren't going your way, and you ran." Mr. Weasley says.**

**"You make your assumptions. It doesn't matter anyway." Ron says bitterly. "I just don't see why I have to worry about anybody else, if nobody worries about me! Nobody cares that I'm not happy! I was a month ahead of everybody at Hogwarts and that pissed the Professors off and it gave me nothing to do. I wasn't learning anything. Nobody gave me a second chance over there either. You'd think after everything I'd have learned, and people would give me a second chance, but McGonagall called me a liar in front of the class."**

**"Yes, you'd have thought you would learn something from everything that happened, but you haven't learned not to runaway." Mr. Weasley says.**

**"I'm not going home with you. I didn't travel for two weeks just to get sick and go home to be punished. Its not fair!" Ron says.**

**"No, that doesn't seem fair." Ms. Turner who was listening from behind the curtain says. "I'm Ms. Turner, the guidance counselor. The students come to me with their problems, and I sort them out. The students get along with their peers and teachers well. It makes learning most enjoyable if students get along with their teacher's. At Ron's age its important for them to be heard and respected, because while they're still children they're beginning to grow as adults, and it gets harder for them, and unless they have somebody who will listen to them, things won't get easier."**

**"Life isn't always easy, Ms. Turner." Mrs. Weasley says.**

**"Learning should be, and it is here. Your son told me about the Professors at Hogwarts." Ms. Turner says.**

**"It's only in their job description to teach." Mrs. Weasley says.**

**"But why teach if the children won't learn? Ron told me that he usually did horrible at Hogwarts." Ms. Turner says.**

**"It's because he's lazy. I have five boys ahead of him, and they've all done remarkable, even the twins who have a short attention span did well." Mrs. Weasley says.**

**"It's easy to expect the best from your children, but they're all different people. They all have their own needs." Ms. Turner says.**

**"I understand that, but Ron cannot stay here." Mrs. Weasley says.**

**"I understand that, but I think you should have a conference with his teachers." Ms. Turner says.**

**"We don't have them there." Ron says.**

**Ms. Turner sighs.**

**"Mr. And Mrs. Weasley, might I have a word outside?" Ms. Turner asks.**

**"Sure." Mrs. Weasley says. She wanted her son to be happy, but she couldn't let him stay. They would never be able to afford to see him. She follows Ms. Turner outside the hospital wing.**

**In the end, Ms. Turner came back to talk with Ron. She took a seat next to Ron's bed.**

**"Ron, sweetie… I have some good news and some bad." Ms. Turner says.**

**"Tell me what good will come out of not being here?" Ron asks miserably.**

**"The bad news is that you will have to go home with your parents. The good news is, your parents won't let your Grandfather near you again, and you won't be punished, but you have to return to Hogwarts. Whether, you take a break for two weeks, or what it doesn't matter, you have to attend classes there. It's where you live. I know that the best way to handle any situation is to confront it not run from it. You ran all this way because you were humiliated. You're sick, hurt, and going back. Luckily, you aren't going to be punished for this. However, it was really stupid of you to run all this way because of one professor." Ms. Turner says crossing her arms and watching Ron expectantly.**

**"I didn't run all this way just because of humiliation. I wanted to come back here. I miss everybody here. I miss the education, the educators, my friends." Ron says.**

**"But you'd miss home even more. You've known Derek for two months, but you have family and close friends who you've known for years. Which is stronger?" Ms. Turner asks.**

**"Honestly, they're both equal. I've never had as much fun as I've had here. Nobody knew my background, and they liked me, and respected me. I don't get respect or anything back at Hogwarts. I get disappointed looks and rumors mumbled. I'm a younger brother to five, and a best friend to the famous kid. Here I was the cool kid." Ron says.**

**"You can be the cool kid anywhere. You just have to be yourself. Derek has a personality, and I can understand why you'd miss him, and the other children, but I'm sure you'll see each other again soon." Ms. Turner says.**

**"You don't understand. I don't like learning anymore. I can't sit still and listen to teachers drone on and on about a lesson I learned a month ago. Even if I hadn't learned it before, I wouldn't be able to sit still knowing that teachers made learning important and fun." Ron says. "Nobody listens to me over there. Nobody's given me a second chance."**

**"In these boring classes have you ever asked a question, to try and learn?" Ms. Turner asks.**

**"Honestly, no." Ron says.**

**"So try that. Your parents say that if you do well the rest of this year, they will consider letting you come here next year. Derek's mother would love to have you, but right now it's not an option." Ms. Turner says.**

**"I have to go back?" Ron asks.**

**"Yes." Ms. Turner says. "I'm truly sorry Ron, it was always a pleasure to have you, but I know running from anything is _never_ an answer."**

**"Thanks for everything." Ron says miserably.**

**Ron arrived back at Hogwarts the following morning; only he would be staying in the hospital wing, while Madam Pomfrey nursed him back to health. Ron was now taking two daily calming potions, to keep him under control and somewhat tranquil. Ron was also taking a week's worth of potions for whatever he had in his system. Ron had a critical case of Pneumonia, and Madam Pomfrey wondered how he hadn't caught Hypothermia with everything he went through. It was the blizzard of '96 in America and always much colder in the United Kingdom.**

**Ginny visited him daily, trying to reassure Ron that he never did anything wrong, and that she knew that he loved her deep down. Ron still hated himself for risking his sister's life for Harry's skin. Risking a sibling's life for a friend wasn't something one could forgive easily. Ron felt forgiving yourself was ten times worse, because it would be like forgetting and not caring, and Ron did care very much about his youngest sibling. Ginny was the closest to Ron out of everyone in the family. Even though she could be annoying, Ginny would be there for him if he needed her, and he'd always be there for her. Ron still felt horrible for endangering the one life he was always taught to protect.**

**Ron could still remember his father's lecture after he had pushed her in the mud when she tried to hang out with him when he was with Tobias in Primary school.**

_**"Ron, you're an older brother, and to a younger sister, which gives you more responsibility than having a younger brother would. You need to protect her. Your mother and I knew you would make a great brother when she was born. We knew we could depend on you to protect her, and I know you have. Your mum and I both know that you didn't throw a doll at Fred. We knew Ginny had had a temper tantrum after he beheaded a previous doll of hers. We heard her yell that the twins shouldn't stop at one, and then we heard the porcelain break. Only, when we got up there you said you were mad at Ginny and the twins and to punish them both you broke her doll by throwing it at Fred. We knew Ginny wasn't crying because her doll broke. We knew it was because she was afraid of getting yelled at. She's always been your mother's perfect angel, because you make sure she doesn't get into trouble. To sacrifice your puffskein for Fred's silence was more than I could've expected of a big brother. I don't understand why you would protect her at home, but hurt her at school." Mr. Weasley had told a six-year-old Ron. **_

**Ron regretted terribly lending Fred his only friend in the world his pet, puffskein… Fred had used it for bludger practice, and Ron never saw it again.**

_**Mr. Weasley handed Ron a stick. "Break that." Mr. Weasley says. **_

_**Ron looked at his father as if he were mental, but did as he was instructed **_

_**"Easy enough, right?" Mr. Weasley asks. **_

_**Ron nods. **_

_**Mr. Weasley got two sticks this time and handed them to Ron. "Break these now, together." Mr. Weasley says watching. **_

_**Ron couldn't do it. **_

_** "It's easy to break one by their self, but two together are unbreakable. Could you imagine seven sticks for each one of you? It wouldn't be possible. I want you to stick together, watch out for your sister, and stop picking on her. Can you blame her for admiring you? You're the most brilliant person she knows. She may grow out of that, but you should be good to her while it lasts. Your sister won't stay five forever." Mr. Weasley says.**_

__

**Nine years had passed since then, but Ron still remembered the lesson. It was a lesson he'd never forget.**

**"Ginny, you seriously wouldn't hate me if I forgave myself? I'm not saying I can now, but if I ever can forgive myself, would you be mad?" Ron asks.**

**"No! I'm upset at how stubborn you're being. You should forgive yourself already, its not like you're fighting with Hermione, this is yourself, and it's driving me mad that you won't forgive yourself because of me." Ginny says.**

**"I feel like I failed you Ginny." Ron says.**

**"Ron you don't have to protect me." Ginny says.**

**"Yes I do Ginny, I'm your older brother." Ron says.**

**"Not by choice." Ginny reminds.**

**"Maybe not, but still." Ron says.**

**"I understand, but don't be too hard on yourself." Ginny says.**

**Fred and George came to visit Ron, but Ron found that the main reason they came was to borrow Pigwidgeon, and he let them.**

**Ron returned to lessons on a Friday afternoon during Potions. He felt a bit drowsy still and he had already known how to make the potion. He let Harry brew his potion for a bit, while he laid his face on his arms, resting his eyes.**

**WHAM! Snape slammed something hard down onto the table Ron and Neville were working at. Ron didn't remove his face from his arms, nor did he jump or open his eyes. **

**"What?" Ron muttered in way of response.**

**"Mr. Weasley, I will not tolerate disrespect in my classroom." Snape says.**

**"I wasn't awake to bad mouth you, I don't know what you're talking about." Ron says into his arms. Snape heard every word though.**

**"You were sleeping in class, therefore showing me no respect." Snape says.**

**"Teach me something new, and I'll stay awake for it." Ron mumbles.**

**"Ten points from Gryffindor and a detention, Mr. Weasley for your cheek." Snape hisses. **

**Ron looks up as if to say something, but sneezes on Snape's robes.**

**While every student in the room was in complete shock, Dean couldn't help but laugh. Ron put his head back down and started coughing into his arms.**

**Snape still looked at Ron with disgust, as if he were going to kill him.**

**"That's ten more points from Gryffindor, five for Mr. Thomas' opinion, and five for that disgusting move, Mr. Weasley." Snape says.**

**Ron waited until his coughing stopped for a second.**

**"You can't possibly take points away for me having a cold." Ron says coughing some more.**

**"If you're sick, you should be in the hospital wing." Snape says.**

**"That is bullshit!" Ron yells packing up his bag.**

**"Language, Mr. Weasley. Maybe you can clean your mouth out when you're polishing the trophy room." Snape says.**

**Ron storms out of the room. He was edgy from being sick.**

**"You cursed at a professor, and it doesn't help any that it's Snape. Ron, how stupid are you?" Hermione asks as she and Harry watched him in clean the trophies in the trophy room. They weren't allowed to help, or they would have.**

**"Very stupid, but not for that." Ron says coughing.**

**"You're still sick?" Hermione asks.**

**"No," Ron says sarcastically.**

**"Why _are_ you out of the hospital wing then?" Hermione asks.**

**"I was tired of being restrained to a bed all day." Ron says.**

**"But you're sick." Hermione says.**

**"We've established this." Ron says.**

**"You can't be out of bed when you probably have pneumonia!" Hermione shrieks.**

**"I doubt Madam Pomfrey would allow me out of the hospital wing if I still had pneumonia. I probably just have the common cold, its not unexpected. It'll go away in a few days." Ron says with a sneeze.**

**"Bless you." Hermione says. "I still can't believe you dared to go to America, and actually made it there."**

**"I still can't believe you both took Malfoy's word over mine." Ron says.**

**"Is that why you ran away? No offense Ron, but you didn't exactly offer anybody, not even me a word. Of all people you'd think I would understand. I told you what happened to me last year." Harry says.**

**"I just wanted to forget it all, and you can't forget if you have to relive it over and over to explain." Ron says.**

**"You can't accept it unless you get it out of your system." Harry says.**

**"I've talked about it a couple of times, but it doesn't change anything. It still happened, I just feel guiltier, and all I want is to forget about it." Ron says.**

**"You're never going to forget it. It's something you'll always remember. You can move on, but stuff like this you can't forget. I know what I'm talking about. I still can't help feeling that Cedric's death is my fault. I have nightmares occasionally, but they've become less frequent." Harry says.**

**Ron thought about it, well at least nobody had died because of him, it was only what could've been that tore him up inside. Ron was glad that he took sleeping potions. He didn't want Harry to know he was mental. Harry was his best friend, but would he still be if he found out about Ron's sanity? He had to know.**

**"But you aren't mental." Ron says.**

**"Neither are you." Harry says.**

**Ron rolls his eyes. "Yes, I am." Ron says.**

**"No, you're not, you're fine." Harry says.**

**"You saw me get sick after Malfoy taunted me. If I weren't taking a sleeping potion, I'd be trapped in nightmares. If something reminds me of what happened, I'm there again. I can't tell myself to wake up, because I'm in a different world. I have no control over it. I can't wake up." Ron explains.**

**"You're only making your problems worse by not facing them head on." Harry says. "I don't think postponing them helps any at all either."**

**"You don't understand Harry, I get sick every time I have a nightmare. I can't sleep right, I get emotionally drained." Ron says.**

**"So you're just going to not dream anymore?" Harry asks.**

**"I have to send an owl now." Ron says. Ron leaves the trophy room and heads for the owlery.**

**Harry and Hermione follow him. They caught up with him, just as he was grabbing Pig. Ron pulled out a piece of parchment from his pocket and tied it to the owl's leg and threw him out the window.**

**"Dumbledore told me you couldn't accept anything, until you understand it, and if you keep postponing dreams it'll only get worse. You should try to go without the potion tonight. We share the same dorm, so I'll be right there." Harry says.**

**"I can't." Ron says.**

**"Why not?" Harry asks.**

**"I don't want anybody to see me crazy." Ron says.**

**"Having nightmares doesn't make you crazy." Harry says.**

**"They're not just nightmares." Ron says.**

**"Just try it." Harry says before he leaves.**

**Hermione walks over to Ron. She smacks him.**

**"Ouch! I'm glad I came back." Ron says.**

**"Well, don't expect me to kiss you, your sick, and I don't want to catch whatever you have." Hermione says. "You were actually going to leave me for America?"**

**"No! I wasn't leaving you, I was just er… going there for a bit. I was leaving Hogwarts, not you." Ron says.**

**"You've got to stop running away every time something doesn't go your way." Hermione says.**

**"In America they gave me respect. Here, Snape hates me and disrespect is an understatement to how he treats us. I thought I could deal with everyone else, but McGonagall called me a liar." Ron says.**

**"You were lying." Hermione says.**

**"Still, she should learn to trust me." Ron says.**

**"She's not stupid Ron. I think after the twins, the Weasley name has lost her trust." Hermione laughs.**

**"Yes, its always the twins and my older brothers who screw things up for me. I hate it." Ron says.**

**"So, you think McGonagall's not trusting you has nothing to do with your own account of things? You've ended up in the Forbidden Forest three times now, you've had countless detentions, and you can't lie very well." Hermione says.**

**"Still, she should give people second chances." Ron says.**

**"She's given you plenty of chances! She's a fair teacher." Hermione says.**

**"That's easy for you to say she gives you respect, but still it's not the point. I liked learning in America. Lessons were better than the weekends. And the people who teach History of Magic made the subject interesting." Ron says.**

**"You like lessons better than the weekends, because all your friends went home then, and anyone who isn't Binns could make History of Magic sound interesting." Hermione says.**

**"If you had been there for a day, you would understand." Ron says.**

**"I do find it weird that you enjoyed learning, but I'm thinking it might be the friends, or maybe the teachers made it easier." Hermione says.**

**"It was both." Ron says.**

**"Everything isn't always easy Ron. You should know that. With You-know-who, and life itself… it's not always going to be fair, and definitely not easy. You have to learn and sometimes it's the hard way, but without the challenges, how would you grow?" Hermione asks.**

**"By drinking milk?" Ron asks. "That's what the muggles say anyway. Calcium gives people strong bones."**

**Hermione slaps him. "I mean how will you grow as a person? If you have everybody always helping you, and something really complicated comes your way, you'd be lost." Hermione says.**

**"Of course I wouldn't. I'd use that compass spell you taught Harry, and find my way back." Ron says sarcastically.**

**Hermione smacks him again. "You know what I mean. All right, let me try and explain it this way… let's say all your tests are multiple choice and true or false… somebody tells you there's an essay question, you'd be in a lot of dung." Hermione says.**

**"I thought I knew what you were talking about, but then you get all bookish on me, and I kind of went blank." Ron says.**

**"If people made everything easy for you something complicated would overwhelm you." Hermione says.**

**"I get that, but how are you supposed to learn from a ghost who drones on and on, about something you already know?" Ron asks.**

**"You used to be able to. In a few weeks, you'll be on the same level as us, and you'll get used to everything again. Obviously, its not your favorite way of learning, but think of it as a challenge. You get decent marks learning here… if you win I'll reward you by doing a month's worth of essays for you. If you lose, I'll punish you with books to read for fun." Hermione says smiling.**

**"I'll take the challenge." Ron says. "I wouldn't mind getting great marks on essays done by somebody else, and I won't lose, because I won't read for fun. Reading and fun are two words that just don't go together."**

**"Kiss on it." Hermione teases.**

**Ron kisses her.**

**That night Ron didn't take his sleeping potion like Harry had asked. He didn't know why, maybe he thought Harry could help him, and if it meant being embarrassed to erase it all from his memory he'd do it. Ron fell asleep.**

**First he dreamed of Ginny…**

**Ron had come out to the backyard. He saw his twin brothers grinning wickedly, whispering, trying not to laugh, and looking at the roof. Ron looked up as well. Five-year-old Ginny was on the roof.**

_**"What is she doing up there?" Ron asks Fred. **_

_**George sniggers. **_

_**"She thinks she can fly without a broomstick, she's going to show us, by jumping off the roof." Fred whispers. **_

_**Ron's eyes had flashed with panic. **_

_**"Are you crazy, she'll get hurt. I'd better get mum!" Ron says. **_

_**George grabs Ron's shoulder. "You going to be a snitch like Percy, are you?" George's eyes flashed dangerously. **_

_**"No! I'm just going to stop her, she'll get hurt!" Ron cries and wriggles free from his brother's grip. **_

_**Ron runs into the house, and up the stairs and climbs through Ginny's bedroom window onto the roof. **_

_**"Fred, I don't think this is safe! How do you know I won't fall?" Ginny asks on the edge of the roof. **_

_**"Ginny, don't move!" Ron yells. **_

_**Ginny fell forward in surprise of hearing Ron behind her. She caught the edge just barely. **_

_**"Ron help!" Ginny cries. **_

_**Ron ran to the edge of the roof and grabbed his sister's wrists just as her fingers slipped **_

_**"Please don't drop me Ron!" Ginny cries. **_

_**Ron pulls his sister up on to the roof. **_

_**Ginny hugs him and cries. **_

_**"Thank you Ron." Ginny sobs. **_

_**"You've got to stop listening to Fred and George." Ron says. **_

_**"RONALD PATRICK WEASLEY!" Mrs. Weasley's furious bark came from Ginny's bedroom. **_

_**The twins had framed him once again. Ron put a hand on his sister's shoulder, letting her know he'd take the blame, and helped her inside. **_

__

**The only problem was, when he climbed inside his sister's bedroom window, he wasn't in his sister's bedroom. He was in somebody else's house. He left the girl's bedroom, and went down the stairs where he lost his balance. His knees had collapsed from under him.**

**Hermione was on her knees leaning over two dead people. They had to be her parents. They had wide glassy eyes that were filled with horror. **

**Ron walked over to Hermione and touched her shoulder trying to be strong, and trying not to throw up.**

**"Hermione… Hermione… I'm so sorry. Please you have to come with me now, before it's too late. Please Hermione!" Ron sobs shaking her shoulder.**

**She fell back onto her back. Her eyes were glassy and full of hate. She was dead. Ron held her and started choking. This couldn't be happening.**

**Hermione blinked. Ron looked at her, her eyes were turning red, she was grinning, and she blinked.**

**Hermione's dead body was now Voldemort. He had left the dead bodies and returned to the burrow where he was tied to a chair. Voldemort watched him and then grinned as he looked at the window. Ron follows Voldemort's gaze. Ron hears Ginny scream and sees her fly toward the ground out of the window. He didn't save her!**

**Ron busted free from the ropes, or Voldemort had released the magic from them, therefore Ron was able to run to the backyard. Ginny lay dead in a puddle of mud like the puddle Ron had pushed her in to get her to leave him alone at the primary school. Her neck was broken, and she was dead. He wasn't there to save her. There was an explosion, and the burrow had been set to flames. He saw his parents trying to breathe through the windows. They had been in the house! Ron couldn't save them. Ron fell down and cried. He heard his Grandfather's voice from a distance.**

_**"Did all those people have to die for one address? When will you ever learn?" Grandfather asks. **_

**He looked up and instead of seeing his Grandfather he saw Voldemort.**

**Ron gasped, but awoke in an armchair in the common room. Nobody had seen or heard his nightmare. Ginny was writing an essay, the twins were planning a prank, and Hermione and Harry were working on their homework. Everybody was in the common room. Ron sighed deeply. He was all right… he was fine…**

**The window flew open with a strong gust of wind that killed the fires in the candlelit room and in the fireplace. Everyone started screaming. Somebody's strong hands came upon his neck and gripped it tightly.**

**_"You had your chance, they all had their chances._ _AVADA KADAVRA!" Voldemort cries._**

**Ron was killed; he was falling, falling, falling into an endless pit… he fell.**

**Ron sat up gasping for air. He was soaked in sweat and he was shaking madly. Ron's vision was blurry for a bit, but when it cleared up, he was in his bed in his dorm. Professor Dumbledore, Madam Pomfrey, and Professor McGonagall as well as all the fifth year boys were around him watching him.**

**"Mr. Weasley, what do you see right now?" Professor Dumbledore asks.**

**"W, w, w, where's G, g, Ginny?" Ron asks his voice trembling.**

**"She's sleeping in her dorm. I'll get her for you." Harry offers.**

**"S, s, she's a, a, alive?" Ron asks hopefully.**

**"Very much so. Mr. Weasley, I assure you no harm will come to her, while I'm here." Dumbledore says.**

**Ron wanted to ask a million questions, but he couldn't say one word without stuttering. He fell back on his bed as tears of frustration made their way down Ron's cheeks. It was no use.**

**"Mr. Weasley, I need you to come down to the hospital wing. I'll give you a calming potion and a sleeping potion." Madam Pomfrey says.**

**"Do you have tissues?" Ron asks feeling his nose starting to run.**

**"Yes of course." Madam Pomfrey says.**

**Ron tried to move, but couldn't.**

**"I'm stuck." Ron says.**

**Harry and Neville helped him up. Professor Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey helped him down to the hospital wing.**

**Ron awoke the next afternoon with a sore throat and a headache. Madam Pomfrey wasn't in sight. Professor McGonagall came up to Ron with a tray of breakfast and a cup of tea. She put it on the bedside table.**

**"Mr. Weasley, I wanted to apologize. I didn't call you a liar, I called your excuses lies, because that's what I thought they were. I believed you might've overslept. I haven't given you the credit you deserve, and I haven't been the best teacher… I've taken a lot of guilt over the months you left us. I felt that made me a bad teacher. I was so overwhelmed with guilt that I forgot the rest of my students. I made an unwise decision to stop caring so much about my students' lives. This way I'd be able to teach and keep things normal, but when you lose a student things are never normal afterwards.**

**You've mastered advanced magic; you're an Animagus, before the class knew how to be. You're intelligent, and you didn't even have to excel in my class for me to say that. You don't know how many times Professor Snape has said you're too smart for your year. Ms. Granger has always been smart for her year, but she's able to stay on the same page as everybody else. I knew you were intelligent, all your family members showed their knowledge, but you held yours back. You were being lazy. You didn't have to read tons of books like Ms. Granger to be intelligent, the twins showed their intelligence through their creativity. I'm not saying that you all use your brains wisely, but I think that what makes each one of you different, is how you use your intelligence.**

**When you ran off, I didn't blame you, but I never in a million years would've believed that a young man of fifteen could run to America and survive everything you have survived. What I don't understand is how you could be so brilliant over there, where nobody knew you, when you're lazy here, and everybody knows you." Professor McGonagall says.**

**"Everybody knows me here, and they know my brothers, and if I did anything it wouldn't matter, because my brothers probably did it first. I had a fresh start over there, and the lessons were more intriguing. I mean the teachers were alive and enthusiastic about History of Magic, and the teachers in Potions were grand, I mean they were completely the opposite of Snape." Ron says.**

**Professor McGonagall nods and sighs. "It wouldn't kill you to put a little more effort into your work." Professor McGonagall says standing up.**

**"I intend to give my best efforts beginning Monday. I'm on the same page as everybody else now." Ron says.**

**"I'm glad to hear that. I'll be in to check on you later in the evening, and before I forget… Mr. Potter wants to know when the next practice is. We'll need you to get us into the international school competition. Oh, and Professor Dumbledore has asked me to let you know that your Great Hall and Hogsmeade restrictions are removed." Professor McGonagall says. She smiles at Ron before leaving.**

**When Ron was eating lunch Harry, Hermione, and Ginny came to visit him. Ron finished his lunch quickly so he could talk.**

**"Ron, I'm sorry about telling you not to take the potion, I didn't have any idea as to what I was talking about. I didn't know." Harry says.**

**"Its all right. Maybe I'm better for it." Ron says patting Harry's shoulder.**

**"He said you mentioned me and Ginny in your nightmare. What happened?" Hermione asks taking his hand softly.**

**"It was weird, I remember this time when Ginny was on the roof when she was five, and Fred and George convinced her she could fly without a broomstick if she just jumped off, but I got her in time. My brothers framed me of course, but when I went back inside the house… it wasn't my house it was your house, only I don't even know what your house looks like. I just went downstairs, and your parents… they were killed, and you were crying over them, only you weren't crying… Voldemort had killed you when you were crying, and when I tried to get you to move, you fell over, and you were dead. **

**Then Voldemort came out of you, and I was back in my kitchen, and he was grinning and looking out the window. I looked out the window… and Ginny fell past outside. I ran outside somehow, and Ginny fell, because I hadn't caught her, and she was dead. Then the burrow went up in flames, and my mum and dad couldn't get out. Then I woke up, but I was in the common room and everybody was there, but the window flew open and blew out all the candles and the fire in the fireplace. Everything was dark, and then he killed me. Then I woke up." Ron says. "I didn't save either one of you."**

**"It was a nightmare. You couldn't save us, not even in a nightmare, and not in reality either." Hermione says.**

**"You've saved me plenty of times. Let me save you some guilt… if I die, which is a very rare _if_… I wouldn't blame you. You're the best brother I have. Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, and George wouldn't let me hang around with them. You always had my back. You always saved me from a lecture, from a possibly fatal prank… I'd die grateful to you for everything you've ever done for me. Nothing is your fault. You-know-who is the murderer. I love you, and I hope you feel better." Ginny says giving his brother a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She leaves the hospital wing.**

**"Ron, what could've been and what's happened are two completely different things, which I'm grateful for. You're alive, you were able to survive You-know-who, and nothing's going to happen to my parents… or me." Hermione says.**

**"Yea and thanks to you, I'll live too." Harry adds sarcastically.**

**"Thanks to you, I can accept that." Ron says to Harry.**

**"You can accept that I'm living? Couldn't you accept that fact before?" Harry jokes. Ron hits him.**


	18. Quidditch Championships

Chapter Seventeen

Quidditch Championships

Author's Note: Thanks for being so patient, it rained, so I worked all week since we were sold out. Also I started school, but that's not a problem, it was more of a writer's block and lack of focus. I will finish this story soon. I thank you for your reviews and your patience, and I hope you continue to enjoy my story. Thank you! 

Ron was surprisingly getting back to his normal ways, or what was better for him, as the word normal for him was changing constantly. While he brought up his grades, he didn't hold back his comments, resulting him being the school's janitor on weekends. However, he was excused one weekend for Quidditch practice. He was surprised Sean wasn't made the new keeper, since he had been away so much. Ron made his way down to the locker rooms and joined his brothers while they changed their robes.

"You're not going to clean the castle?" Fred asks with disbelief. "It won't be as clean now. I mean it actually sparkled!"

"Stop it." George warns.

Fred and Ron looked at George.

"George, I was just joking. Lighten up." Fred says.

"Last time we were just joking we weren't able to let him know." George reminds.

"He's still alive George. He's not going anywhere. Dumbledore can protect him here, and McGonagall won't dare suspend him again after what happened. Mum and dad will be able to protect him at the burrow when summer comes. Chill out, will you?" Fred asks annoyed at his brother.

"We almost lost our brother! You couldn't stop crying, or don't you remember?" George asks in disbelief of Fred.

"How can I forget? He _almost_ died George. Almost, but he didn't! He's right here! He's fine! Everything can go back to normal now! I'm allowed to joke. I apologize if I offended anyone. I always joke. I'm not going to be depressed all the time, because of something that didn't happen. I'm allowed to move on! Ron's still alive!" Fred yells.

"Everything can go back to normal now? Nothing can ever be normal again." George says.

Fred rolls his eyes. "It can." Fred says loudly.

"Can it Ron?" George asks.

"You should be able to move on. I know Fred was only joking, and I appreciate you sticking up for me, but I haven't taken anything you said to me seriously since I was nine." Ron says.

"See? Now, knock it off, we've got practice." Fred says irritated, leaving the locker room.

"Why should we be able to move on, if you aren't able to?" George asks.

"I wish I could forget about everything, and I'm starting to, but I guess I'll always remember it. I like your and Fred's distractions. It gets me out of daydreaming while I'm supposed to be doing Snape's essay. Sometimes I can't control what I think about, and it's good to have you and Fred making entertaining distractions to bring me back to reality." Ron says.

"You know, if you ever want to talk… about anything, I won't tease you or tell Fred." George says.

"Thanks." Ron says.

"All right!" Harry yells happily as Ron and George came on to the field.

"So, what have you got to say about the match against Slytherin?" Harry asks.

"We have to win." Ron says grinning.

"Well, besides the obvious…" Harry says rolling his eyes.

"We can't screw up." Ron adds. "I'm not even worried about you catching the snitch as Malfoy hasn't caught it ever. Fred and George, you'll need to have control of the bludgers. I can't have Goyle or Crabbe sending one towards Harry, the girls, or _me._" Ron says.

"That last time was an accident!" Fred insists.

"Yes, but we can't have any accidents this match." Ron warns.

"I told him to go before the match, but he never listens." George jokes.

"But I told you, I didn't have to go then!" Fred argues.

Ron rolls his eyes.

"Any advice for us?" Angelina asks.

"I have a new strategies. Rather than two of you passing it back and forth, or even three of you, you should trick them up once or twice, and have one of you by the scoring posts, one of you around the middle, and another by me. This way, say the one in the center has it, well they'll all expect say its Katie for example, to fly toward the other keeper. They'll all fly to her, and all she has to do is throw it down to whoever's at the scoring end say Alicia, and Alicia just has to worry about getting it past the keeper. Oh, and the person by me, could play defensively. If the Slytherins intercept the Quaffle they'll try to get it back before they try getting it past me and they can throw it back to the center, but you shouldn't use it every play, sort of alternate it to confuse them, and then if they catch on have the defensive player fly to the center. And if they do catch on and start after the center player, the defensive player could try sending it to the scoring player. Try it. It will confuse the hell out of them." Ron says.

"You are wickedly clever, little brother." Fred says.

"I learn from the best." Ron says.

"Oh stop! You're embarrassing me!" George blushes.

"You? He meant me!" Fred says shaking his head exasperatedly and rolling his eyes.

"You keep thinking that. We all know I'm the best!" George teases and flies up into the air.

"Let's see if you'll still be the best with your head smashed." Fred says before flying in the air with a mischievous grin on his face.

Ron follows them up in the air.

"Fred, you and George are going to rotate being defensive and offensive beaters every half hour. I want George to hit them toward players, and you stopping them! We can't afford any accidents in the match so we're going to practice now. In a half hour everything's going to rotate." Ron says.

Sean came out of the locker room. "What's going on?" Sean asks.

"I need you to be captain on that side. The girls are trying out a new tactic." Ron says.

"All right." Sean agrees.

Practice was perfect. Ron was able to stop every Quaffle thrown at him, while dodging bludgers, which wasn't as much of a threat as the twin chasing it was. Sean wasn't able to stop one Quaffle. Once Sean figured out their strategy, they changed it, and each play was different. Meanwhile, Harry had caught the snitch more than ten times. He had caught one under every half hour, which ended a particular play, where everything stopped and things rotated. The girls would alternate positions, and the twins would switch as well, with their hit and block form.

Practice ended with the players dripping with puddles of sweat. Even though there was more than a foot of snow on the ground, their adrenaline had been rushing, and they had been playing for eight solid hours. So the eight (including Sean) sweating and exhausted players made their way through the snowy field below into the locker rooms, cooling off, and wanting showers.

"If there's any precipitation tomorrow, we're practicing. I don't think anything's worse playing Slytherin unprepared for bad weather." Ron says.

"There was a blizzard last night, dear brother." Fred reminds.

"Yes, but all the snow is on the ground now, none of it was falling while we were in the air, and as we don't exactly play on foot there were no weather interferences." Ron reminds.

"The wind was pretty strong." Alicia yawns.

"My worry is precipitation. Wind's nothing compared to rain or snow." Ron says.

"So you're hoping for precipitation to get us sick right before our match against Slytherin? Aren't we all glad we elected him as captain?" Katie asks.

"Rain wouldn't be as bad as walking in this snow. We could catch pneumonia much easier walking through this, as the feet and head are most vulnerable to temperatures." George says.

"How the hell do you know that?" Fred asks stopping and turning.

"Something I remember dad saying ages ago." George says.

"You listened?" Fred asks amazed.

"Yes, because then I went out into a storm in bare feet with no hat on to see if he was joking or what, and I had pneumonia for a week." George says.

"I don't remember that." Fred says.

"That was the week that you and Ron played hide and seek and Ron turned the dryer on to see if you were in there, and you were, and you had a concussion and a memory problem for like a month." George laughs.

"I regained my memory the following day, I just didn't want to do chores so I played dumb and pretended to forget what they were and how you did them." Fred says.

"That's why you weren't pissed at me?" Ron asks.

"Yea, you bought me a month of no chores." Fred says.

"I had to do them all because you were faking?" Ron asks incredulously.

"Wow, you catch on quick, Ron." Harry teases.

"You're getting as bad as them, don't make me kick your ass Harry." Ron warns.

"You doing my chores spared you a spider nightmare." Fred teases.

Harry could see Ron shiver.

"Oh, sorry, I thought you had worse that spiders wouldn't bother you anymore." Fred says.

Smack! Something cold and hard hit Ron in the back of the neck. Ron turned around to get smacked again by the same cold and hard thing in the face.

"Snowball fight!" George yelled pegging Fred and Ron.

"NO FAIR!" Fred yells and ducks as the snowball went to hit him. It missed and hit Angelina.

Angelina and Fred got revenge two-to-one on George, but Alicia helped him. Sean and Katie joined George as well, while Ron and Harry joined Fred.

The team went from sweaty and exhausted to freezing, wet, and even more exhausted. They entered the castle dripping water on the entrance hall floor. Filch walked over to them looking at them in disgust, as everybody was leaving the Great Hall. Everybody gathered around watching Filch tell off the eight students who were wet, shivering, exhausted, and trying to hold back laughter by looking elsewhere.

Professors McGonagall, Snape, and Dumbledore came out to see what the hold up was. Snape smirked seeing McGonagall's students being told off, while Dumbledore smiled at the lot of them.

Filch turned as he heard the Professors shooing the students up the stairs.

"Professor McGonagall, your house's Quidditch team has dripped mud, snow, and water all over the entrance hall causing a hazard to students and staff walking by. I think they should be punished for their actions, maybe removing them from the house team would teach them a lesson." Filch says.

"I second that." Snape says.

"Oh that wasn't too planned." Harry mutters to Ron.

"Professor, Peeves has thrown water balloons in the entrance hall last year, but nothing was done about it, and nobody was hurt, and-" Katie begins. She wasn't that good coming up with excuses.

Ron sneezes. "If it's that big of deal, I'll clean it up after I change into dry robes." Ron offers.

"You'll do it now." Filch says.

"What's the point of that if my robes are wet and dripping?" Ron asks with another sneeze.

"To teach you a lesson Weasley." Snape says.

"What's the lesson?" Ron asks trying not to be smart.

"It will teach you to think twice about when you schedule your practices." Snape says.

Ron sneezes. "Excuse me." Ron apologizes for sneezing. "Sir, I just don't understand how it's our fault there was snow on the ground." Ron says trying not to cough and turning red while doing so.

"You could've cancelled practice once you saw snow on the ground." Snape says.

Professor Dumbledore dries the ground and their robes with his wand.

"Professor McGonagall will have your dinners sent up to the common room, I suggest showers, dinner, and rest. Mr. Weasley, you might want to see Madam Pomfrey." Professor Dumbledore says.

"Why?" The twins ask in unison.

"I feel fine." Fred says.

"So do I." George says.

Professor Dumbledore chuckles. "My apologies, I meant Ron." Professor Dumbledore says.

"For why must I go to the hospital wing?" Ron asks.

"Some pepper-up potion might help that cold." Professor Dumbledore says.

Ron walks off to the hospital wing.

"That's just like Snape… trying to get us kicked off the Quidditch team. It's like he had Filch and McGonagall under the Imperius Curse. She didn't even try to say anything. Though Filch is mean, he wouldn't be so clever as to think of that punishment all by himself." Harry says.

"Filch is just as much a jerk as Snape, he's always trying to punish everybody. You had your Quidditch robes on, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out the ultimate punishment for a Quidditch team. Dumbledore was right there, and McGonagall knew he wasn't going to let that happen, so she didn't have to say anything. She probably didn't say anything in fear of laughing in Snape's face." Hermione says without looking up from her essay. She sounded quite irritated.

Ron couldn't help but smile at the sight of her. He didn't know what it was but something about her looking irritated and trying to concentrate, made Ron like her even more.

Hermione felt Ron's eyes on her and looked up. "What?" Hermione snaps.

Ron forced himself to lose his grin, and looked away. "Nothing, nothing." Ron says standing up. He had to go somewhere out of her earshot and laugh. He liked her even more when she was angry.

Ron left for his dorm. It was late, and he was getting a bit tired. He thought he should change into his pajamas.

Hermione stopped writing and puts her quill down. She closes her book and rolls her parchment up before putting it in her bag. She wouldn't dare give anybody a chance at seeing her essay. She'd break rules, but she didn't believe in cheating at all.

"What's wrong?" Harry asks.

"Ron is up to something, and I'm going to find out what it is." Hermione says.

"He was just going to bed," Harry says shaking his head.

"No, he sounds like he's up to something. I'm just going to go check." Hermione says getting up. She walks up stairs to the boys' dormitory, without anybody noticing.

She walks over to Ron's bed and pulled back his curtain to find him… She gasps. Ron was naked.

Ron turned around once hearing his curtains pulled back and somebody gasping. He turned to find Hermione covering her mouth with her hands as not to scream. Then he covered himself.

"What are you doing here?" Ron asks grabbing his pajama bottoms.

"I… thought you were up to something." Hermione says. She pulls the curtains closed and turns around. "I mean you were acting weird just now, and you left without saying why, and…" Hermione couldn't think of the reason why she came up into a boys' dorm.

Ron pulled the curtains apart with his pajama bottoms on. "It's not like you haven't seen me naked before, honestly." Ron says rolling his eyes.

"I didn't actually look at it before! Besides, you were the one covering yourself up like it was a big thing. I mean deal, big deal!" Hermione says.

"You were the one who did…" Ron mocks her gasping and covers her mouth.

"Don't touch your face until you've washed your hands! Honestly!" Hermione says frantically.

Ron rolls his eyes and drops his hands. "You were also the one who can't say _thing_ because you think of something bad." Ron says.

"You're the one who can't say the name of it, and there's nothing bad about a… a…" Hermione couldn't say it out loud. She pointed toward Ron's legs without looking.

"You're pointing at my leg, and you're the one who can't say _penis_! I can." Ron says grinning.

Hermione's eyes were darting everywhere. She seemed to be thinking about anything and everything to say that would change the subject and still win an argument.

"Well, I just came up here, because I thought you were up to something… I mean I thought you had a plan that might cause trouble for me later, and I was just making sure you weren't. Who undresses as fast as you anyway?" Hermione asks.

"You do." Ron teases trying to hold back his laughter.

"I do not!" Hermione says.

Dean walks in the dorm.

"Hey Ron, Harry wants to talk to-." Dean forgets what he was saying, seeing Hermione standing in front of Ron who was topless. He stopped where he was in the doorway glancing between the two of them.

Hermione turns around. "Dean, what's wrong?" Hermione asks calmly.

"He and you…" Dean couldn't find the right words so kept babbling.

"Ron and I were talking, what's the problem?" Hermione asks.

"Oh! I suppose it looks awkward with my shirt off?" Ron asks.

"That and the fact that Hermione's in here… a boys' dorm." Dean says.

"She came in here, because she thought I was taking too long. See I told her that I would show her my essay, this way she would stop nagging me to do it, because she didn't believe I wrote it, but she thought I was taking too long finding it and came in to make sure I wasn't going to sleep to avoid showing her that I hadn't written it, but I was getting changed for bed and unable to put my shirt on before she walked in, so I forgot about it." Ron says.

"Oh." Dean says believing Ron's story. "Well Harry wants you to go downstairs so he can talk to you. Said something about… somebody acting weird."

"Okay. Thanks." Ron dug out a piece of parchment from his drawer and handed it to Hermione. "I believe certain words are in order." Ron says grinning. He knew Hermione had to say the words if they didn't want to be caught.

"All right. You could elaborate more, for a few extra inches, that wouldn't hurt your marks, and it's good of you to get it done early for once." Hermione says.

Ron drops his grin.

"Why can't you just admit that you were wrong for once?" Ron asks.

"I can, but really I'm not wrong, you could elaborate." Hermione says.

"No, you doubted me, and you were wrong." Ron says.

"Well, I better go, I really shouldn't be in here." Hermione says.

"You're wrong for being in here as well!" Ron teases.

"A prefect breaking the rules, what is the world coming to?" Dean teases.

"Tell Harry I'm going to bed, and I'll talk to him tomorrow morning." Ron says throwing a pillow at Hermione.

Hermione stops and looks behind her to see what was thrown at her. She looks down at the pillow and then up at Ron. She picks the pillow up and walks back over to Ron. She hits him in the face with it causing Ron to fall back on his bed.

"I'm never wrong." Hermione whispers in Ron's ear. She runs out of the dorm before he could react.

"So?" Dean asks.

"So?" Ron asks Dean bewildered.

"Don't play dumb. What's going on between you two? Are you more than friends or what?" Dean asks.

"No, she's my best friend." Ron says rolling his eyes.

"She's your best friend, who is a girl." Dean corrects him.

"Right. Now, what are you on about?" Ron asks.

"I think she's a bit keen on you. You would've thought that you were her boyfriend the way she attacked Malfoy the day we all thought you died." Dean says.

"She's a great friend, but that's all we are… friends." Ron says.

"After so many years of being 'good friends' that argue all the time, I wouldn't doubt that there's something going on between you two in secret. I don't see you with anybody else. Parvati Patil said that there was nothing going on between Hermione and Krum. And you both came in at the same time the other day, and it would've been all right, only Harry wasn't with you." Dean says.

"I was talking with Hermione." Ron says.

"Call it whatever you want, but don't lie to me. We've been sharing this dorm for five years now. I may not talk to you as much as Harry does, but I listen and I watch. I observe, and I know there's something going on between you and her." Dean says.

"Dean, you need to open up your eyes wider and clean out your ears. There is nothing going on between Hermione and I." Ron says.

"You know when you lie your teeth clench." Dean says smiling.

"They clench, because I'm annoyed." Ron insists.

"Honestly, you aren't keen on her at all?" Dean asks.

"How could I like her in such a way, if we can't even be friends without arguing?" Ron asks.

"So if I were to ask her to the spring ball, you wouldn't mind?" Dean asks.

Ron gritted his teeth.

"I thought so." Dean says grinning.

"Oh shut up!" Ron says angrily and throws his pillow at him. "Wait! What spring ball?"

"There isn't one, I just wanted to know what the deal was with Hermione and you." Dean teases.

"Your lucky you still have my pillow." Ron warns.

"Don't make me go get Hermione." Dean teases.

"Oh no, what is she going to do, hit me with a book?" Ron jokes.

"So seriously, what's going on between you two?" Dean asks.

"I'm tired, can I have my pillow back?" Ron asks.

"Tell me or I'll tell Harry and Seamus!" Dean says.

"You can't!" Ron says.

"I can, and I will unless you tell me everything!" Dean says.

"I seriously hate blackmail. There's nothing going on, honestly. Our feelings are a bit more strong than they used to be, but I'm sure that if there were a spring ball, she'd go with you if you asked her." Ron says.

"Harry's your best friend, why doesn't he know?" Dean asks.

"I don't know. I guess because there's nothing really happening to tell. I mean if I liked Hermione more than I do now and we were more than friends, I'd tell Harry, because if I was Hermione's boyfriend, I'd ruin the relationship and our friendship, and Harry would be there to stop that from happening. It's not like that though, so we can pretend we never had this conversation." Ron says.

"What conversation?" Dean asks.

"The one we just had!" Ron says.

"You're an idiot." Dean laughs and throws Ron his pillow.

The match against Slytherin was approaching, and it seemed as if everybody except the Slytherins were supporting the Gryffindors to win the Cup. Only the Slytherin's had a very strong supporter that could crush the Gryffindors, as they all found out a week before the big match.

Ron, Harry, and Hermione were taking notes in Transfiguration when the door opened and five Gryffindors stood at the door looking peeved.

"Boys, Ms. Johnson, Ms. Bell, Ms. Spinnet is there something I can do for you? Right now, I'm teaching a class, and you should be learning in one." Professor McGonagall says.

"Actually there is something you could do. Could you kindly turn Snape into a bug so we can step on him?" Fred asks.

"That would be after class of course." George says.

"Excuse me a moment." Professor McGonagall says to the class who was still busy copying notes.

"Now, somebody explain how _Professor_ Snape upset you." Professor McGonagall says.

"What makes you think he's upset us?" Fred asks.

"We've been wanting to learn how to do that for years." George adds.

"Professor, please… Professor Snape won't let us play in the match. He's given us all detention cleaning the castle with Filch. The twins were even being… well acting, good for once. They knew how vital it was to not get in trouble before the match, especially not with Snape, I mean Professor Snape, but he gave us all detention on the day of the match just because Lee had asked George for an ingredient, and he called him on being disruptive." Angelina explains.

"How did that include the four of you?" Professor McGonagall asks.

"He told George he couldn't play because he had a detention on Saturday, and Fred went to defend him, and he said Fred couldn't play either, then he said that none of us could play, because the class was all riled up, and he said education should come before other activities, and some other bull that we walked out on. This is our last year, and we want a shot at winning with our names on the cup. Even though there's the possibility of not winning, we want to lose somewhat fairly than not play at all." Alicia explains.

"If Professor Snape wonders why you're playing on Saturday, you can tell him that as you are all my students, I have the final decision of your punishment, and you can clean the castle on Sunday." Professor McGonagall says. "And any further unfair punishments may be complained to the Headmaster. Now, if you all don't mind, I have a class to teach, and you have a lesson to attend."

"If we go back to Snape's lesson, he'll kick us out and make sure we don't play on Saturday." Katie cries.

Professor McGonagall writes something down on a piece of parchment and hands it to Katie. "There's your pass." Professor McGonagall says.

"What about the rest of us?" Fred asks.

"Shut up and go." Katie says pushing Fred out the door.

At dinner in the Great Hall Professor Dumbledore made an announcement.

"I've chosen to inform you, since the Quidditch cup for Hogwarts will rest on Friday's match, that Durmstrangs have beaten Beauxbatons, and may I remind you that whomever wins between the other schools, will compete with our winning team." Professor Dumbledore says.

An uproar of conversation roared across the Great Hall. "Even if we win against Slytherin, Durmstrangs will crush us! They've got players on their team that are twice our size." Ron says.

"Which is good for me than. Wood told me you had to be light to be a seeker." Harry says.

"Krum wasn't the lightest." Ron reminds.

"I don't know what you're all worried about… Durmstrangs isn't worse than Slytherin. When you beat them you'll find out, won't you?" Hermione asks.

"But you all don't know that Durmstrangs will beat the other schools. There's more than just Beauxbatons." Lee reminds them.

"Just worry about the match against Slytherin." Hermione says.

"I just stopped dreading it, why must you remind me to do everything, especially worry?" Ron asks.

"You'll do well, I know you will." Hermione says.

Nerves were high on Saturday morning. Ron couldn't eat, neither could Harry. The girls picked small crumbs here and there, and the twins didn't eat more than half a slice of toast. The Slytherins had devoured their meals though. It seemed as if they had no fear. Ron wondered if Snape was refereeing, that would be an advantage for the Slytherins and would most definitely make them confident about themselves.

Somehow, they found the way to the locker rooms and dressed in their robes. Ron said nothing to anybody as they made their way from the locker rooms to the gates.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Alicia cries. She was desperate for some kind of reassurance.

Ron couldn't reassure anybody though, because he couldn't reassure himself that he wouldn't throw up before the match.

"He's as scared as all of us, it's a lot of pressure." Katie insists.

"I'm not scared!" Ron says pulling himself together. "I was just thinking. You all know what your doing. Just do your best, and watch out for bludgers. Your worst problem should be managing your brooms. This is Slytherin after all."

"That's why I'm so nervous." Katie says.

"They're a bit of a challenge, because the other teams weren't. Don't worry!" Ron says growing paler by the minute.

They made their way onto the field, and as soon as they were in the air, all fear left them and what filled them was determination.

"Captains, shake hands." Madam Hooch calls.

Ron looked incredulously at her, as did Malfoy. Ron held out his hand not wanting to forfeit the match, and Malfoy quickly shook it. Ron flew over to the goal posts, and watched as the game started, while listening to Lee Jordan's commentating.

"And they're off! Johnson of Gryffindor with the Quaffle… she throws an amazing pass to Spinnet at the post, and she scores! What an excellent play. Slytherin in position… they're going to score… YES! Another brilliant play by the Gryffindor Chasers! Bell's got the Quaffle, and she throws it to Johnson! The Slytherins know the plan they're by Spinnet, but no! That isn't the play! Johnson is going to do it herself. The Slytherin Chasers are blocking her way… the cheaters! But oh, look out! The Slytherins have sent two bludgers toward the Gryffindor Chasers! But no! The Weasley twins have control of both bludgers, being right behind them! Oh look out Angelina! What a play! Fred and George Weasley send the bludgers at the Slytherins, before they could hit the chasers, though the Weasley's were more of a danger than the bludgers were. Johnson pitches the Quaffle into the hoop, and they score!" Lee yells.

Ron's whoop of victory was cut short when Malfoy flew over to him. "Are you going to insult me for winning?" Ron asks calmly.

"No, there are too many other good reasons to." Malfoy says.

"Oh, because daddy told you to, is that it?" Ron asks raising an eyebrow.

"No, what my dad has in store for you is too great for me to tease you about just yet." Malfoy says grinning evilly.

"Why don't you go tell somebody who cares?" Ron asks trying to listen to Lee's commentary, but not hearing him over Malfoy's taunts and his own anger. He could see the crowd cheering, but as far as he knew they were flying down around the other half of the field. Ron flew up to see over Malfoy and flew down just in time to catch the Quaffle. Ron threw it over Malfoy allowing Katie to take it.

"An excellent play by the Gryffindor keeper! Great stop!" Lee gasps loudly. "Harry Potter is diving for the snitch!"

Malfoy turned around and darted down after him.

A whistle sounded the end of the game.

"Harry Potter catches the snitch! Gryffindor wins the cup!" Lee yells.

Ron flies down to Harry, as does the rest of the team.

"WE WON! WE WON!" Fred and George yell excitedly.

"Excellent Harry!" Ron yells happily. That match was shorter than any one he'd seen or played in, and… it qualified them to play in the International school championships. 

There was a huge celebration in the Gryffindor Common Room that evening. However, three Gryffindors were engrossed in a serious conversation to join all of the excitement, and they were the last three people you'd expect to be talking rather than celebrating at an opportunity like this, when it was allowed.

"I swear that's what they said. Not that I believe them, after all they are Slytherins, but still…" Lee Jordan whispered to the twins.

"They're liars." George says.

"Most of the time, but what they said is too dangerous to ignore." Fred says.

"You can't be serious." George says.

"Look, I'm not saying I believe them, but I'm not just going to ignore it and let somebody get hurt if they're telling the truth." Fred says.

"What are the odds of them telling the truth?" George asks.

"About the same odds as an attack happening at the burrow." Fred says.

"About the same odds as Ron crossing over. Not that I believe them, but they weren't very happy or calm about it… they were shocked and pissed if anything." Lee says.

"And You-know-who didn't kill Ron. Why not?" Fred asks.

"Because he didn't have enough time, and Ron wouldn't answer him?" George tried to argue for Ron.

"It only takes two seconds to whisper the curse, and if he was running short on time, he wouldn't have wasted any trying to get answers if it was obvious Ron was that strong." Fred says.

"I bet you it was a setup. You know how Ron's always been in Harry's shadow. He probably pushed Malfoy's buttons to get suspended so he could secretly meet with You-know-who. He probably did tell You-know-who information about Harry." Lee says.

"He does know everything about him. Harry said so himself." Fred says.

"And he did tell Grandfather to go." George says.

"Exactly." Fred says.

"But why would he be tortured so badly?" George asks.

"To cover it all up." Fred says.

"It all makes sense to me. I think we should talk to Dumbledore." Lee says.

"What if that was the Slytherin's plan? What if they wanted us to believe them, and go to Dumbledore? Dumbledore will surely throw him out if we tell." George tries.

"Dumbledore might know, and he won't throw him out. He knows if somebody's lying or not, but either way we should let him know what we heard and think." Fred says.

"I just hope we're wrong." George says.

"Wrong about what?" Angelina Johnson interrupts them causing them all to jump.

"About how we think we did on our Potions essays." George says casually, careful not to make Angelina curious.

"What do you want?" Fred asks grinning as she started to get angry. He was toying with her, making her think he wanted nothing more than her one minute, and making her think she was a pest the next.

"I wanted to dance, but I'm sure I can find somebody else. As it is the life of the party is engrossed in a secret conversation. I'll go ask Sean to dance." Angelina teased expecting Fred to get jealous and hop on his feet.

However, Fred was uninterested in dancing as he went back to his conversation, and Angelina decided to play by that old motto that said if you can't beat them, join them. So she sat in between Fred and Lee, ending their whispers once more and smiling at them.

"So what are we talking about?" Angelina asks.

"We aren't talking about anything. What do you want, so _we_," George gestures to himself, his brother, and Lee, "can continue our important discussion?"

"I want to dance with your brother, but I'll wait patiently right here, until you all are done." Angelina says with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"No need to wait, Ron's right over there. Though you may have to fight Hermione for him." George teases.

"Not that brother…" Angelina wraps her arm around Fred, "This brother."

"Give her one dance so she'll go away." George pleas.

"Look, Angelina, I'm saving all my energy for later. I can't have fun when I'm allowed to, because… I'm allowed to, and nothing's really fun unless it's a scandal in which you try not to get caught, and I really need another detention to beat the record, so I'm waiting for tonight. You don't want to destroy that for me." Fred says with a pout that he used to get himself out of trouble with that never worked anymore.

"You owe me a dance during this scandal when you pull it. By the way who holds the records for having the most detentions?" Angelina asks looking at George.

"Guilty as charged." George grins.

"How many more do you have on him?" Angelina asks.

"Fifteen." George says.

"None, we have the same amount, but I want to be the one who leaves Hogwarts with the most detentions in their records." Fred says.

"Oh… now there's a goal everybody should aim for." Angelina says sarcastically.

"Yes, and we're going to go see Dumbledore… now… to see who has the most detentions out of the two of them, and to see if anybody else in the History of Hogwarts has had more… so we're going now." Lee says hinting back to their original conversation.

Fred and George could go on and on with stories that originally started out as an excuse or a lie.

"Wouldn't you go see Filch for that though?" Angelina asks.

"Yes, Filch… you know what I meant… I mean Dumbledore and Filch, well their both old and about the same size. I turned all of Filch's remaining hair gray the other day so you can see where I could confuse them." Lee says.

Angelina laughs. "I'm going away now." Angelina walks away, laughing.

As they were walking down the hall the boys talked.

"That was a good one Fred." Lee says.

"I wasn't joking. Though your excuse about Filch and Dumbledore was a good one. That would be amusing." Fred laughs picturing Filch's hair gray.

"I wasn't joking either. I really did turn his hair gray, but it only lasted until he saw his reflection. Then he made Snape fix it, and assumed it was you two giving you two another detention." Lee says.

"That's why? I thought he was just giving us one for no good reason as usual. I thought something was up when he was muttering about his hair… though I just thought he was upset because he's old and going bald." George laughs.

"Going bald? Please, the man is bald; he's got no hair on his… Headmaster, we were just coming to see you." Fred says innocently as they ran into Professor Dumbledore.

"Ah, and what is this about?" Professor Dumbledore asks.

"Nothing important, we were just wondering who holds the records for having the most detentions, but we should've known you were too busy for something so stupid…" George says.

Professor Dumbledore chuckled. "I believe you do George."

"What? How? How many does he have on me?" Fred asks.

"Well I don't know the exact amount of detentions off the top of my head, but I do know he's had to help Filch three more times than you did." Dumbledore says.

"Oh, we also wanted to know who Gryffindor's playing?" Lee asks.

"The whole school will find out on Monday. I will not reveal anymore information until that time." Dumbledore grins.

"We really came to see you because we overheard the Slytherins talking… about Ron. They were saying how Ron's on their side." Fred says.

"And Malfoy was talking to Ron during the match." George adds.

"And they weren't happy about having Ron on their side at all. They hate Gryffindors, and if he can help You-know-who more than they can, well they really can't be too happy." Lee says.

"Now which side is Slytherin on? I'm confused." Professor Dumbledore says calmly.

"The dark side. You-know-who's side." Fred says.

"Nobody in this school is a follower of Voldemort." Professor Dumbledore says clearly. "Mr. Malfoy was taunting your brother during the match, trying to get Gryffindor to lose by having their talented keeper fall to the ground in a violent distraction. There is no doubt in my mind that Ronald Weasley is on the good side. Mr. Jordan I believe they set you up to come to me, so that you would tell his brothers, and they would have trust issues, and the team would fall apart, leaving them to take Gryffindor's place in the International competition. I'm sure their attitude would reflect their disappointment in losing."

"Right." George says miserably.

"So you still aren't going to tell us who we're playing?" Fred asks.

"I will tell you… on Monday." Professor Dumbledore grins and walks away.

"I can't believe how stupid we are." Fred says.

"We were concerned is all." Lee says.

"Yea, you two can be really stupid." George says.

"Hey you believed us too." Lee says.

"Yes, you said I hope we are wrong. We as in the three of us." Fred says.

"No we as in you two. I said I hope you are wrong. You and Lee, that makes we…" George argues.

"How did you get three more detentions than me?" Fred wonders.

"When you're doing you Potions homework… I don't do it, and I find myself in trouble." George jokes.

"That's why you're failing Potions." Fred observes.

"No, he doesn't look at the essays. He's failing me because I exchanged a fake wand for his, and I turned his hair into green slime." George says.

Lee laughs hysterically as he leans against the railing of the stair.

"When was this?" Fred asks.

"When we left because he tried to give us all detentions on the day of the game. I performed a swap and a last minute spell." George says grinning his eyes looking up.

"Only it stunk, because we happened to be doing a hair restoration potion, and he fixed it, and grabbed his wand out of George's cloak when he was leaving after his turned into a chicken." Lee says.

"I still can't believe you got more detentions than me." Fred says.

On Monday morning everybody was waking up, eating breakfast in the Great Hall, when the Entrance Hall Doors opened letting a gust of wind blow into the castle. They heard the door shut and everybody looked for who entered. Hagrid, who was already seated was also curious, but stood to see who came in. Professor Dumbledore just had a knowing smile on his face and waited patiently as a group of teenaged wizards entered the Great Hall with two teachers by them.

Ron grinned as he saw the seven American Quidditch players with two of his favorite teachers. Only three of the people he met were on the team. Derek, Dominique and Roxanne were there, looking at the ceiling and the walls in awe of the castle.

Then they looked around at the students, in search of something, Derek's smile widened as he saw the red hair at the one table. Derek went toward the table, before his teachers could stop him, and stopped when he found Ron.

Derek grabbed a piece of bacon off of Ron's plate before he spoke. "Yo, what's up?" Derek asks giving Ron a hug.

"Hey!" Ron says.

"Your girl is here." Derek says gesturing toward Roxanne.

"Yes, and so is Mr. Ridge." Ron grins seeing Mr. Ridgeway behind Derek.

Mr. Ridgeway grabbed Derek's shoulder tightly.

"How are you doing Ron?" Mr. Ridgeway asks patting Ron on the back.

"All right." Ron says. "How are you doing? You getting Bozo to do some work?" Ron asks.

"I do not look like some clown." Derek says defensively.

"You act like one, and he could transfigure you into one." Ron says brightly.

"And I'd transfigure him into a muggle soccer ball and kick him with my clown shoes." Derek says.

"Tell Ron you'll see him later. You remember the rules." Mr. Ridgeway warns.

"You'll see him later, you remember the rules." Derek mocks.

Mr. Ridgeway drags Derek back to the rest of the students causing Ron to laugh.

They all walked up to the staff table, where Mrs. Prewitt was speaking to a very amused Professor Dumbledore.

After she finished talking, Professor Dumbledore stood up still smiling, and spoke.

"Students and staff. I'd like you to welcome International School Quidditch Challengers, from America. They will be staying with us until the Championship match, in which our school's winner, the Gryffindor House Team will play the Americans who have beaten both Bulgarian and French Quidditch teams."

After he finished speaking, the staff found themselves in two seats at the staff table, while the Americans followed Roxanne and Derek to the Gryffindor table where they were welcome by all the students, even by Hermione, who was heartbroken to find out that Ron had a girl in America, who sat between her and Ron, Dominique sat across from him, and Derek sat between Harry and Ron. Though Harry didn't mind, he thought Derek was just as amusing as the twins.

"They shut you up again. Usually you were the one who talked and talked and talked. I think there's something weird about this place though, I mean I lost my voice for a second when I entered." Derek says.

"That's because they put a silencing charm on you to shut you up. They didn't want you giving the USA a bad name." Dominique says.

"It already has a name, America, and you know if they start calling it Derek, because of me, it really wouldn't hurt me." Derek jokes.

Roxanne rolls her eyes and turns to talk to Ron. "So Ron, are you on the Quidditch Team?"

"Yea." Ron says.

"Girl, we only asked him about a billion times, you should know! You have to excuse Roxanne, she was born blonde." Derek says.

"I never had blonde hair!" Roxanne argues.

"Sure, sure." Derek teases.

Roxanne smacks him upside his head. "Never insult a woman when she's sitting right next to you."

"What woman?" Derek asks and ducks before Roxanne could swing.

Everybody started cracking up. "That's what I thought." Roxanne says smacking him.

"So what position do you play?" Ron asks.

"Chaser." Roxanne answers. "He's a chaser too, unfortunately."

"Girl, watch your mouth." Derek warns.

"Can't, and I'm only saying what's true." Roxanne says.

"Girl…" Derek says and tickles her.

Roxanne squeals. "Ron… help!" Roxanne pants between laughs.

Derek stops. "Your lucky I'm hungry." Derek says stealing another piece of bacon from Ron's plate.

"Do you not see that platter of bacon?" Ron asks.

"Yes, and I'll get to that when I'm done yours." Derek teases.

Ron smacks his hand. "Bad dog." Ron teases.

"Speaking of bad dogs…" Roxanne says shifting his attention to her.

"I didn't do anything." Ron says.

"Exactly, you came back, but you didn't say hello to me." Roxanne says.

"I didn't exactly get a chance to." Ron says.

"You can't still be sore at me man. You were sick as a dog, no pun intended, but still you would've died, and probably over some stupid reason like you not getting your way. Don't try to fool me, I've done it plenty of times, and the longer you're gone, the worse the parents react, trust me. I was just watching out for your back." Derek says.

"I wasn't mad at you." Ron says, though he didn't look at him in the eyes.

"Don't lie to me, I know you're mad at me, but I also know you can't stay mad at me… well, when I kick your…" Derek's mouth was stuck shut, and the reason soon appeared.

Mr. Ridgeway appeared over Derek's shoulder.

"Mr. Evans," Mr. Ridgeway began in a serious whisper. "I would advise you once more, to watch your mouth while you're here."

Derek went to say something, but his voice was still gone. Suddenly, it came back to him.

"That's not cool, I don't like those slick tricks you teachers are playing. I was only going to say butt." Derek starts.

"It wouldn't have shut you up if that was it. Control your mouth." Mr. Ridgeway says and walks away.

"Right, like I was saying…" Derek continues, yet again he was interrupted.

"Only now he'll have to think about what he says!" Dominique teases.

"He gets lost easy in thought. His mind tends to wander." Roxanne says.

"But it can't wander far, there's not much upstairs." Dominique teases.

"You two are lucky I need you for Quidditch, or I'd turn you both into something or make you disappear! Don't press my buttons, Ridge has already pushed my temper with whatever he used!" Derek says.

"Oh no!" Roxanne mocks with a gasp.

"Leave him alone… he can't curse, so he's miserable." Ron says trying to keep the grin from widening on his face.

"You don't want your bacon, do you?" Derek asks tilting the contents of Ron's plate on his own just to tease him.

"Now what were you saying?" Ron asks annoyed at his loss of food.

"I was saying that I could understand you being upset with us beating you at the Championship is all." Derek says.

"Keep dreaming." Ron says.

"Ooh, is that a challenge?" Derek asks.

"Dreaming? I don't know, is that a challenge for you? The challenge for me is having to look at your face for the next week." Ron teases.

"Oh! That was cold!" Roxanne says smiling at Derek.

"I taught him everything he knows." Derek says proudly.

"What are you talking about? You must've got that mixed up. See you probably taught him everything you knew, because he was only there long enough for that." Dominique teases.

"Why does everybody have something against me?" Derek asks sadly.

"We only tease the ones we love." Dominique says.

"She's speaking for herself there." Ron says quickly.

While they continued to joke, a heartbroken Hermione thought about Dominique's words. 'We only tease the ones we love.' Did that mean that maybe she still had a chance with Ron? She didn't want to be pushed aside every time another girl came, but he hadn't told her about Roxanne, and as they were guests, she wasn't about to make a scene.

The week passed by quickly for everybody with the exception of Hermione, who wanted nothing more for than the Americans to leave, or just Roxanne. She was being pushed to the side, and Harry hadn't noticed. She had kept herself to her books and nobody knew that she was hurting, that she was heartbroken and upset.

Finally, it was the last day of the Americans' stay. The match was today, and Gryffindor and the Americans had practiced hard during the week. Now everybody who wasn't the fourteen players in the locker rooms waited with baited breath for the match to begin.

Before anybody knew what they were doing the Quaffle was in the air, and the whistle was blown. America in possession…Roxanne and Derek easily weaved their way around the beaters, the twins, and the chasers and tried a tag team approach at putting the Quaffle past Ron. Roxanne threw it toward the hoop… Derek caught it before Ron could, and threw it at the farther hoop. Ron dodged to stop it, but Roxanne had got it and put it over Ron's head through the middle hoop.

Ron felt like they had won the game already! How had they put it past him? Gryffindor always scored the first points, and Ron had always been able to stop a Quaffle unless he was really tired or out of it, and he had never been. He had been knocked out once, and distracted as well, but it was in the first five minutes, and they had put it past him. Ron could hear the Gryffindors uproar in the stands. He couldn't wonder how everything had happened and how he had screwed up long, as they were coming back again. 

Where were Fred, George, and the bludgers? Why weren't the other chasers trying to get the Quaffle? Ron felt his heart skip. Harry was head to head in a chase with the American seeker. Harry wasn't the best seeker for anything… It had vanished. Fred and George were chasing the bludgers toward the American seeker.

Roxanne and Derek were coming toward him again. He wouldn't screw up this time. He _couldn't_ screw up again! Roxanne threw it toward the hoop, and both Derek and Ron dived for the Quaffle. They crashed into each other, both of them rolling over on their brooms! Ron still caught the Quaffle with a jolt of pain, signaling his shoulder had been ripped out of place again, and he threw it to Angelina.

The Gryffindors screamed. Nothing could stop Gryffindors in possession! Dominique was the keeper, and she was quite bored up until now, but now she was focused, trying to see through the minds of the Gryffindors… obviously, she hadn't gotten that far, since Alicia put it past her. They were tied.

Dominique, angry about missing the Quaffle, threw the Quaffle toward the other chaser, but Katie bumped her out of the way and took possession of the Quaffle, surprising Dominique, and putting it past her once again, and at that moment, the whistle blew. An uproar of applause was heard as all fourteen players looked to see why Madam Hooch had blown the whistle. Harry Potter had the snitch in his fist. He definitely wasn't the best keeper for no reason at all.

Even weeks after the Americans left, Ron had still not lifted his guilt of being defeated by his friends. They would always stay in touch, but Ron would now move on with his life at Hogwarts.


	19. Going Home

Chapter Eighteen

Going Home

Worse than feeling defeated, even though he had won, were the O.W.L.S that they had to take the next month.  Ron thought the final exams were hard, well they were nothing compared to the O.W.L.S.  He swore he wouldn't take the N.E.W.T.S.

Meanwhile, Hermione hadn't said anything to him at all, in a while… to be exact; she hadn't spoken to him, since the Americans arrived.

He sat down next to her in Potions, in an attempt to make peace with her, for whatever he had done to upset her, because he had upset her, he just hadn't known how.

"Hey."  Ron says trying to distract her from her notes.

"Hello."  Hermione says without looking at him.

"Are you mad at me?"  Ron asks.

"You should be quiet and take down notes, before Snape comes over here."  Hermione whispers urgently.

"I'll take that as a yes."  Ron says.  "Why?"

"I'm not mad at you, but I will be if he comes over here, so be quiet!"  Hermione says.

"Well then why haven't you spoken to me in the last few weeks?"  Ron asks.

"I just needed some space.  Please shut up already."  Hermione says in barely a whisper.

"You needed some space, from me?"  Ron asks.  "I thought we were friends.  Friends don't push each other away for anything.  Now what did I do?"

"I'm sure Ms. Granger would be happy to explain it to you in detention after class.  That's twenty points from Gryffindor… each.  Your house should be proud to have a prefect losing them points.  I'm sure Professor McGonagall will be."  Professor Snape, who had walked over to them, said in a taunting voice.

Hermione turned red, as she kept quiet and continued to copy down her notes, and for once… Ron held his tongue and kept quiet.

In detention with Snape, Ron finally got his answer.  Ron was mopping the floors, while Hermione was polishing some jars.

Snape was watching them closely.  They didn't dare talk while they cleaned, but Ron saw his opportunity, when Professor Dumbledore asked to see Professor Snape outside the classroom.

"Besides the fact that I got you into trouble, why aren't you talking to me?"  Ron asks.

"Because there's nothing to talk to you about."  Hermione says not looking at him.

Ron walked over to the front of the classroom, dragging the mop over his own footsteps, to get to the front of the classroom.  He wrapped his arms around Hermione's waist, and she put down the jar she was polishing as not to hit him with it.

"We used to be able to talk to each other about anything and everything.  I was able to get this close to you without you getting annoyed.  I thought you liked me."  Ron says.

"Yeah, and I thought I was your girlfriend."  Hermione says, not actually meaning to have said it out loud.

"What do you mean?  You are my girlfriend." Ron says confused.

"Let go of me."  Hermione demanded.

"Not until you answer me.  Why are you acting all cold towards me if you're my girlfriend?"  Ron asks.

"Why do you call me your girlfriend, when that Roxanne girl says she's yours?"  Hermione asks.

"What?  Roxanne lives across the Atlantic.  I danced with her in America.  I was trying to make my friends feel as welcome here as they made me feel there."  Ron says.

"Are you ever going to see her again?"  Hermione asks.

"No!  I love you.  I saw her twice that's it.  She lives across the Atlantic, I can't go back again, and even if I could, I wouldn't."  Ron says not thinking about what he had actually said, as he was just trying to please Hermione.

Hermione sat down on a desk.  "You love me?"  Hermione asks.

"Yes, and nobody comes close to you at stealing my heart."  Ron says honestly.

Hermione jumped off the desk, hearing the latch of the door click open, slipping on the wet floor.  Ron caught her and they both fell back on to the floor, only Hermione landed on Ron.  Professor Snape opened the door, and both Professors looked at the pair.

"Yes, Ron, the floor is way too slippery, in this particular spot."  Hermione says as if answering a question as she got off of him.  She went back to polishing a jar.

"Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger, you're done for today."  Professor Snape says icily.

"Mr. Weasley I do need a word with you before you retire to bed."  Professor Dumbledore says.

"Yes sir.  I'll be right there."  Ron says putting the mop back in the bucket.

In Dumbledore's office, Ron sat patiently, wondering what he could've done now.  Then he realized the obvious.  He had been caught on the floor with Hermione.  It looked suspicious enough.

"Look Professor, Hermione and me on the floor wasn't what it looked like… She slipped, and I tried to catch her, but I also slipped and that's all that happened."  Ron tried to explain.

"Mr. Weasley, rest assured, you aren't in any trouble.  In fact this has nothing to do with that compromising situation, which I believe to be a complete accident."  Professor Dumbledore said his eyes twinkled behind his half moon spectacles.

"Oh all right then… So what is this about… if I'm not in trouble?"  Ron asks.

"Mr. Weasley, I'm concerned about how you might cope with your summer holidays at home."  Professor Dumbledore says.

"I'll be fine."  Ron lies quickly, knowing that he wouldn't be fine once he actually got home, but not wanting to discuss what happened… again.  

"Are you sure?  It's not just my concern.  Your parents know you'll never be comfortable at home again, at least not as comfortable as you were before."  Professor Dumbledore says.

"I'll be fine."  Ron says quickly again, this time he was avoiding Dumbledore's eyes.

"Mr. Weasley, you have every reason to feel uncomfortable about going home.  After being tortured there; after having the dark side, invade your home where you grew up knowing the safety around you was impenetrable… You can honestly tell me you wouldn't feel the least bit uncomfortable?"  Professor Dumbledore asks.

"I'll deal with it, when the time comes.  I've dealt with situations that have been worse than just feeling uncomfortable.  I'm going to feel weird, definitely, but it would be scarier if I didn't.  I mean I've grown up worrying about what pranks Fred and George would try.  I've grown up protecting Ginny from what were supposed to be innocuous pranks by Fred and George, I'll just have to be more careful, and I'll worry more about Ginny.  I just know that there's more out there to worry about, and I'll worry when the time comes, but there's no real reason to get me worked up, before I have to be…  I mean it's still my home."  Ron says nonchalantly.

"I must say you are a very strong and stubborn young man.  If your stubbornness ever relents, and allows you to have doubts or worries, don't hesitate to come to me."  Professor Dumbledore says.

"Professor?"  Ron asks.

"Yes Mr. Weasley?"  Professor Dumbledore asks.

"I suppose after everything that's happened, Harry won't be allowed to the burrow even for the last day of the summer holidays?"  Ron asks.

"Actually, Mr. Weasley, come August, Mr. Potter has the option to stay at the burrow.  Safety measures at the burrow are even better than at his relatives' house now."  Professor Dumbledore says.

"All right then, thank you."  Ron says leaving the Headmaster's office.

Ron entered the Great Hall as everybody was well into his or her dinners.  Ron made a plate for himself and sat next to Hermione across from Harry.  

"What did Professor Dumbledore say to you?"  Harry asks, making it apparent that Hermione had told him where Ron was.

"Nothing really.  He was a bit concerned about how I felt towards going home."  Ron says, taking a bite of chicken.  "But I told him that it wasn't a big deal.  I mean considering all I've been through, I can handle a bit of discomfort in my home."

Harry and Hermione exchanged worried glances that Ron chose to ignore as he continued to eat.

"You know Ron, you're more than welcome to stay at my house if you're not ready to go back."  Hermione says gently.

"So we can be the cause of World War Three?"  Ron asks.  "Have you gone mad?"

"It's two months compared to the ten we already spend together.  I was just offering so you wouldn't have to be afraid in your own home.  I mean right now alone, you can't think of anything that happened without getting sick, and once you leave Hogwarts you won't have calming potions or sleeping potions to keep you somewhat sane."  Hermione says.

"So you'd want me to embarrass myself in front of your family rather than my own?  Because I'd be without the potions there too Hermione."  Ron says in what sounded an irritated tone.

"Of course not, it's just you're bound to have the nightmares at the burrow, because that's where you were attacked.  I figure since you've never seen my home before, you'd be more interested in learning about muggles and such that you wouldn't be reminded every minute of what happened."  Hermione says.

"You don't think me having to go around your house looking at you and your parents wouldn't remind me of what happened?  I told you what I risked.  I told you how much it hurts me to try and look at you!"  Ron says angrily.  He left the great hall before he could do anymore damage to anybody.

"I swear he's bipolar.  I mean he's all calm one minute and the next he's raging mad."  Hermione says annoyed.  "His behavior's so impulsive.  It's scary sometimes.  I mean, I was just trying to help him, and you saw how he acted."

"He's said the same thing about you… being scary that is."  Harry says.  "I don't think he wanted to have that talk with Dumbledore, and I think he's worried about going home.  He was probably just annoyed and didn't want to persist the conversation any longer.  You told me yourself, he acted defensive when he got scared."

"You know I wouldn't be surprised if he'd been in denial all along.  Maybe he thought if he could pretend it never happened, he wouldn't have to deal with it.  I mean sure, he could talk about it, but as long as he wasn't in danger of it happening again, he could just shrug it off."  Hermione says.

"Then again, he could've just been hungry."  Harry says thoughtfully.

Hermione rolled her eyes.  "I wonder if he's gotten a new journal… then maybe I could make some sense of what's going on in his head so I could keep from getting mad at him.  Or maybe he's going back into his old ways… I mean if he wanted to be normal again he might try to change himself to being the person he used to be, before the attack."  Hermione says contemplatively.

"No, Hermione, I still think he just needs sugar."  Harry says earning himself a glare from Hermione.  "No, no… I meant sugar as in food…"

"I know you meant food… I have no clue as to what other sugar…" Hermione smacked him.  "Quit picking up the jargon that Seamus and Dean drop… and try to think about Ron's needs right now.  He's going through a rough time… and if he's not now, wait until we get to King's Cross!"

"You think enough for the both of us, and I'm sure you're thinking more than enough about Ron's mind."  Harry says causing Hermione to sigh exasperatedly.  "Hermione, rest assured… Ron won't change back to the way he was before… If so history's bound to repeat itself, and Ron knows what _could _happen, not that it should've, but he knows all those terrible consequences.  He definitely didn't deserve them, but he sure won't go trying his luck again after everything's that happened.  I think he's just hungry and tired, and just a bit frustrated.  So I'm going to go bring him a plate of food, and lose to him in a game of chess to make him happy.  I reckon I'll see you later."  Harry says as he takes a plate filled with all Ron's favorite foods out of the Great Hall.

Harry walked into the common room to find only a few students there, studying, none of which were Ron.  Harry went up to the dorm to find that completely empty of students.  Harry set the plate down on Ron's bedside table and left Gryffindor tower searching for Ron.  He checked in the infirmary, and was informed that Ron hadn't been in there, but if Harry saw him, he was to send him immediately to Madam Pomfrey so he could get his potions.

Harry wondered if Ron could have possibly been in the library, and although he knew he wasn't in there, as it was Ron's nature to avoid studying and books at all times possible, he still checked.  Sure enough, Ron wasn't to be found there either.

Finally, Harry found himself wandering into Professor McGonagall's office, where he found her writing something.

"Excuse me, Professor?"  Harry says, causing the Professor to look up and realize there was a student in the room.

"Good evening, Mr. Potter.  How may I help you?"  Professor McGonagall asks skeptically.

"Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if I could have the password to Professor Dumbledore's office.  I just want to know if Ron's there, because I searched the castle, and he isn't anywhere else."  Harry says.

"Well, Mr. Potter, if he is with the Headmaster, they're speaking right now, and he'll be sure to return for bed.  However, you might want to consider the possibility outside of the castle."  Professor McGonagall says.

"You mean Hagrid's?"  Harry asks.

"Yes, he might be at Hagrid's, and if he isn't, you'll do better to wait for him in the common room, as he should be heading there soon."  Professor McGonagall says firmly.

"Yes Professor.  Thank you."  Harry says leaving the classroom.

Harry walked back into the Great Hall to see Hermione just gathering her things to leave.

"Well, did the food help him?"  Hermione asks.

"It might if I could find him.  He's disappeared.  I searched everywhere including the library."  Harry says.

"Have you been to Hagrid's, and have you checked the kitchens?"  Hermione asks.

"I was coming to get you to go with me to Hagrid's, and I didn't even think about the kitchens.  I'll stop there first."  Harry says.

Harry and Hermione entered the kitchens to find the house elves washing dishes and such.  Harry grinned as he found the one he wanted to speak to.

"Dobby!"  Harry says.

"Harry Potter sir, what can Dobby do for you sir?"  Dobby asks.

"I was wondering if my friend Ron, the one who gave you the sweater, had been down here at all?"  Harry asks.

"No sir, Dobby has not seen him, sir."  Dobby answers.

"Thanks Dobby, I'll visit you tomorrow.  Right now I have to find Ron."  Harry says waving to him as he and Hermione left the kitchens.

They were just about to cross the grounds to Hagrid's when the front doors opened, and Hagrid entered smiling as he saw two of his favorite students.

"'Ello there Harry!  Hermione!  How 'ave you too been?"  Hagrid asks beaming.

"All right… Hagrid, has Ron been over to see you?"  Harry asks.

"Harry can't find him anywhere."  Hermione explains.

"No, I can't say that I 'ave.  But if I do see him, I'll send him your way."  Hagrid says leaving them for the Great Hall.

"I guess we'll just have to wait."  Hermione says shrugging.

They made their way up to the common room and found more students there than before, however Ron still wasn't there.

Harry went to check in his dorm, while Hermione made her way to wash up.  Harry entered his door, and saw Neville, Dean, and Seamus talking to somebody out the window.

"What's going on?"  Harry asks causing the three of them to jump.

"Ron's on the roof… he says he's not going to jump, but he shouldn't be on the roof in the first place.  He could fall!"  Neville says.

"If I fell, it'd be into the lake, and I'm not going to fall.  I'm just getting an awesome view from up here."  Ron's voice shouted from outside.

"It won't be an awesome view if you fall!  Get in here, or I'll get McGonagall.  I'm serious Ron!"  Seamus warned.

Out of the sky it appeared, legs came flying into the common room, followed by the rest of Ron's body, kicking Seamus hard in the chest as he flung himself in.

"Have you lost your bloody mind?"  Harry asks helping Seamus off the floor.

"That's a dumb question Harry."  Ron says raising his eyebrows.

"What were you doing on the roof Ron?"  Harry asks seriously.

"Let's see I wasn't standing, because I'd fall… I was sitting on the roof Harry."  Ron says flashing him a grin.

"Were you planning on jumping Ron?"  Harry asks.

"No, not really.  I'm kind of tired, so jumping isn't on the top of my to-do-list, but for your sake, I'll jump."  Ron says jumping up and down on the floor.  "Satisfied?"

"Ron if Dean, Seamus, and Neville hadn't been here, would you have ended your life?"  Harry asks seriously.

"No Harry, I was offered the choice to die months ago, but I chose to live."  Ron says.

"Things are different between then and now.  You could've died at the price of somebody's life… my life, but you fought them, and you lived… Now you're not insane, though you are acting like it.  You have some problems Ron, everybody knows it, but you can't just end your life!  You could talk to Dumbledore or McGonagall…" Harry tries desperately.

"Ooh, food."  Ron says excitedly seeing the plate on his bedside table.

"Ron!"  Harry says.

"For your information Harry, I have no intentions of taking my own life.  I was just trying to calm down and work on Astrology at the same time.  There's supposed to be an eclipse tonight.  I wanted to see it without the interference of the light, and being outside, while on school grounds.  If I had slipped, _accidentally_, I would've fallen into the lake, and I wouldn't have died.  But as there are so many people concerned about my well-being, I will stay inside."  Ron says picking at his plate.

"Look Ron, I'm sorry, but before all this ever happened you never went on the roof, and after everything happened… I thought you were getting fed up with everybody making assumptions, and the roof is a tower, it's rather steep, and I didn't want you to get hurt."  Neville apologizes.

"You made the assumption that I was getting upset with everybody making assumptions?"  Ron laughs.  "No, Neville, I'm fine… really.  I just wish everybody would stop acting like what happened was a big deal!  It was months ago!  Everything's better now, or it's starting to be, but then everybody brings that up again, and it's bad again!  I am perfectly fine!  Why can't we talk about Quidditch or anything else?"

"What happened to your knuckles Ron?"  Harry asks raising his eyebrows as he spotted the dry blood on his friend's red hands.  "Everything's fine, right?  That's what you keep saying… then why do you have to beat up a wall every time somebody tries to help you?"

"Because nobody is helping me!  They're only making it worse, and everybody's starting to piss me off!"  Ron yells.

"You don't like people confronting you, because you're not okay!"  Harry says.

"No I'm not okay.  I have a billion things racing through my mind right now… You can't understand!  Nobody can understand… You don't know what it's like to be bored.  I go crazy trying to think about anything that's good, but all I'm reminded of is that night… No… it was during the day… but it was so dark… That makes no sense… Bloody hell, I'm haunted by something I can't forget, yet I can't remember!"  Ron yells frustratingly taking his anger out on the wall with his already messed up fists.

Harry grabbed his wrists and forced him down to the ground, where he broke down sobbing.

"Everything was good with Quidditch, and studying… As long as I didn't get bored, because then my mind wouldn't pay attention, and I had to struggle to read and block out the memories at the same time.  Everything was really getting better, between the potions and Hermione, and just keeping myself busy… everything keeps getting better, but then everybody's got to keep reminding me of what happened, when I consistently try to forget!  I was accepting it, but that doesn't do anything to stop those demons in my mind!  Now everybody's telling me that I'm going home… I was attacked in my home!  Everything's just going to be worse… I wasn't going to kill myself; I just can't deal with my mind struggling between the insanity and sanity that constantly fights to take over.  I just can't deal with it anymore!  I can't!"  Ron sobs into his arms.

"Ron…" Harry tried.  His voice struggled to hide the pain he was feeling for his friend.  He reached down to touch Ron's shoulder, anything to comfort him, but Ron pulled away.

"Don't touch me!  Just leave me alone!  Go away!  Please just go away!  I'm sorry!  Just leave me alone!  Please!" Ron sobs uncontrollably.  He couldn't believe he was breaking down in front of his classmates.

Seamus at this point had left the dorm, and Ron hadn't noticed as his face was buried in his arms.

"Why can't I just be normal?"  Ron sobs.

"Because there's no such thing."  Harry says.

"I just want to go back to the way things were."  Ron cries.

Harry, Neville, and Dean could only watch sympathetically as Ron cried uncontrollably.

Finally, Seamus came back only Professor McGonagall entered the dorm with Professor Dumbledore just behind her.  Seamus shrugged his shoulder looking guilty, for having gotten help.

"Mr. Weasley…" Professor McGonagall said softly.

"Great."  Harry heard Ron mutter between sobs.  Seamus backed off feeling rather guilty for bringing the professors when Ron was so upset, but he didn't know what else to do, and he couldn't just let his friend cry… it may have seemed right, but Seamus was afraid he'd flip out again.

"Ron…" Professor McGonagall tried again.

"I'm sorry, I'm fine…" Ron says without bringing his face up from his arms.  He was quickly trying to dry his tears on the sleeve of his robes.

"No, you're not all right…" Professor McGonagall corrects him gently.

"Yes, you can tell I'm messed up, because I'm a sixteen-year-old _boy_ and crying."  Ron says.

"No, you are allowed to cry… but your knuckles are…" Professor McGonagall touched his knuckles, and he pulled away in pain.  "Broken."

"They're fine."  Ron says.

"Come down to the infirmary Ron."  Professor Dumbledore says.

Ron seemed to still in shock as he heard the Headmaster's voice.  He hadn't known he was in the room.

"No, I'm fine…" Ron says obstinately.

"Ron, you know you're not…" Professor Dumbledore says.

"FINE!"  Ron yelled standing up so abruptly he nearly knocked McGonagall over.  Wiping his face with his sleeves he brushed passed everybody as he ran out of his dorm and quickly through the common room.  If it weren't for his red hair, nobody would've been able to recognize him, but everybody did.

Ron made his way down to the infirmary.

"Well, Mr. Weasley it's about time.  You haven't taken your potions in two days."  Madam Pomfrey says bringing two large goblets over to Ron.

"I'm not taking them tonight either.  I just need you to fix my hands, so McGonagall and Dumbledore will stop bugging me."  Ron says.

"Mr. Weasley, this is why you can't stop taking your potions!  You have to ease off it gradually.  If you stop abruptly, your brain and body will work against you.  I can see what it's done to you already."  Madam Pomfrey says.

"This isn't from the bloody potions!  I won't be able to take them at home, and I'm not taking them now!  Please fix my hands already, or I'll be off."  Ron says angrily.

"Mr. Weasley, calm down!  Take this potion… you'll feel much better."  Madam Pomfrey says.

Ron turned around to find two concerned professors watching him.

"Ron… please cooperate… we're only trying to help."  Professor Dumbledore says.

"No."  Ron says.

Professor Dumbledore pointed his wand at Ron and then at a bed behind him, and slowly and carefully Ron was floating in the air backwards toward the bed.  Ron was lowered on to the bed, where Professor Dumbledore than muttered a spell to restrain him.

Ron's legs were free, and he kicked the table with the two potions on to the floor.  The goblets fell over and spilled their contents to the floor.

"Mr. Weasley, please!"  Professor McGonagall cried exasperatedly as she cleaned up the mess with a flick of her wand.

Madam Pomfrey had no trouble bringing two more goblets back.  Only now, Ron was under full restraint.

"Mr. Weasley, you better drink this, or we'll do this the muggle way."  Madam Pomfrey warns.

Ron wasn't sure what the muggle way was, but he was so determined not to drink these potions.

"Open your mouth."  Madam Pomfrey says.

Ron thought a second before complying.  Madam Pomfrey tilted the potion into Ron's mouth, and every last drop of it went into Ron's mouth, before being spit out, spraying Madam Pomfrey with the liquids.

The mess didn't seem to bother Madam Pomfrey as she cleaned herself up with a flick of her own wand.

"My, my… skipping six doses… what should we expect?"  Madam Pomfrey asks shaking her head.

"I'm fine, just let me out of this bed!"  Ron cried angrily.

"Not a chance… Ron, will you actually drink the potion, or do we have to do this the muggle way?"  Madam Pomfrey asks.

"That potion is not going in me!  I won't drink it."  Ron yells with rage.

"You won't drink it, but it's getting in you.  The muggle way will get it in your system, and I can assure you, you won't like it."  Madam Pomfrey says.

"Ron, what is wrong with that potion?"  Professor McGonagall asks.

"Nothing's wrong with it.  He stopped taking it three days in a row now… It left his system abruptly rather than gradually; therefore the side effects are terrible.  If you stop a calming potion abruptly, you're going to receive just the opposite of what that potion does… It's going to work against him, building him up with rage and anger and even depression.  It will make him a bit unstable in the mind…" Madam Pomfrey says.

"Ron, if you'd just drink the potion, and come to my office, we could talk… as it is, if you don't drink the potion, Madam Pomfrey will give you an injection, and it will be a bit of discomfort.  Then you will be calm and come to my office.  Please drink this potion, before you regret it."  Professor Dumbledore says.

"That potion is only making me worse… you're making me worse… I'm trying so hard to forget about everything that happened, and you keep making me talk about it!  I'm going insane, and it's your fault, because you won't let me be!"  Ron cries.  "Ow!  What are you doing?"

Madam Pomfrey had transfigured the Goblet into a syringe and come up on his left side and injected him with the needle into his left shoulder.  Ron could only let tears of frustration fall down his cheeks.

A week later, Ron sat on his bed in the dorm, writing in his journal that he and Harry managed to steal back from Hermione when Harry wanted to know what Sirius had said.

That was when a black dog entered the dorm turning the door handle with his paw to open it.

"Harry's down in the Great Hall… I think."  Ron says calmly.  He was finally able to stop taking the potions through smaller doses, as he gradually eased himself off.  In all honesty Madam Pomfrey didn't think it wise for Ron to be off the potion, but as he was leaving for the burrow tomorrow, he needed to be off of it, or he'd be worse there.

Sirius transfigured himself into his wizard form.  "Yes I saw him."  Sirius said evenly.

"Okay."  Ron says with bewilderment.

"So I came to talk to you."  Sirius says shoving his hands in his pockets.

"I didn't tell Harry you told me to stay away from him… he found that out accidentally."  Ron says.

"That's not why I've come to talk to you."  Sirius says.

"All right then, what is it?"  Ron asks.

"I wanted to apologize for that though… I reckon you might not have been suspended if you were able to hang with Harry."  Sirius says.  "I was er… wrong.  I'm just trying to be a guardian to him… that means protecting him… but I reckon I might've crossed a line in doing so."

"No, I reckon you were right… If I had still been talking to Harry, he could've been fighting with me, and then he'd be suspended too."  Ron says.

"That's what I was thinking…" Sirius says.

"But all the professors have a soft spot for Harry, so I reckon he could've gotten both him and me out of trouble, had we been talking…" Ron says.

"That's what he said.  So… I was wrong.  And I'm sorry, and I don't know why you listened to me, but I'm sorry you did…" Sirius says.

"You didn't have to apologize… you're an adult… and the closest person Harry's got to a parent, so you were right."  Ron says.  "As that wasn't your main reason for risking getting caught, what is?"

"Harry's in the common room, he's not letting anybody near here.  He's even more worried about me than I am of him, and that's scary considering how worried I get about him."  Sirius says.  "Anyway, I wanted to apologize for that, and for being so terrible to you when you came back… I assumed the worst… and after losing James, because of somebody we thought was a friend made me think anybody could betray Harry."

"I understand, and again you don't have to apologize."  Ron says.

"Well I also wanted to thank you for risking everything you did for Harry's life.  I know you're a true friend to him, and just so you'd know, he'd do the same thing for you."  Sirius says.

"Your welcome…" Ron says.

"So how are you doing?"  Sirius says.

"I'm better now."  Ron says.

"Harry told me about last week."  Sirius says.  "He's been worried about you."

"Yea, I apologized."  Ron says.

"No, you shouldn't have… I was just wondering if you wanted to talk about anything?  I was driven mad once as well…" Sirius says.

"No… no, I'm okay… Madam Pomfrey said it was a consequence of not taking the potion."  Ron says.

"Okay, well I better go then… Harry's got to be getting worried by now."  Sirius says.

"All right."  Ron says.

"Just so you know, Harry is always going to be there for you when you need to talk.  Take care of yourself."  Sirius says giving Ron an encouraging grin.

"You too."  Ron says.

Ron didn't seem to falter or hesitate as he got on the Hogwarts Express.  He actually had a few good laughs from Fred and George.  He'd miss having them around next year.  He played several games of chess and beat everybody, from the twins who paired up to try and beat him to Hermione.

The only time Harry saw him pale was when the Hogwarts Express arrived at Platform 9¾.  He thought he'd pass out, but Ron pulled himself together and made his way off of the train where he hugged and kissed both of his parents.  Harry waited with the Weasley's as everybody got off the train.

"Have a great summer weasels… after all, it might very well be your last."  Malfoy taunted as he exited the platform.

"Ron are you all right?"  Harry asks.

"Yea, I'm fine."  Ron says nonchalantly.  Harry noticed Ron regained most of his coloring.

"Well, I'd better go… Write to me as often as you can!  I hope to see you in August."  Harry says sincerely to Ron.

"I will."  Ron says.

"Hermione, you're more than welcome to come any time you want…" Mrs. Weasley assures her.

"Thanks.  I'll see about August as well.  Have a good holiday."  Hermione says hugging Ron tightly before giving him a quick kiss.  She too departed.

Ron entered his home, and Mr. Weasley was ready to catch him if he did pass out.  To everybody's surprise, Bill, Charlie, and Percy were at home.

"Hey, we changed things around a bit."  Percy says looking hopefully at Ron.

Ron was looking paler than ever, and he stared at the kitchen.

He stared at the kitchen where everybody else saw new curtains, the refrigerator moved to the other side of the kitchen, and a new table.  

Ron saw shattered glass… smoke… red evil eyes staring at him… the chair he was bound to (even though that was replaced with a new chair).  Ron closed his eyes hard and opened them up.

Ron smiled.  He saw the rearrangements made to the house.  The repaired windows with curtains, his mum must've made.  It was a better kitchen… Ron walked slowly over to the clock with the faces and places.  All nine hands with nine smiley faces were pointed to home.  Ron walked over to the kitchen window and pulled back the curtains, sighing deeply in relief as there was nobody out there.  Ron turned around, happy to see eight anxious faces watching him, rather than seeing the death eaters.  Ron walked up the stairs slowly and found his room straightened, but the same.  He looked out his bedroom window.  Nobody was there.

Ron walked downstairs again and watched as the eight hopeful faces watched his.

"Ron, are you all right?"  Percy asks.

"Of course I am… I'm home."  Ron says smiling.

The End 

Thanks for reading.  Sorry if it was corny or not to your liking.  I finally finished it though!  Thanks so much for all your reviews.  I really hope you enjoyed it.  ~*Carey*~


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